Hunger
by ReadingBlueWolf
Summary: With InGen's intentions foggy at best, Owen's barely treading water—red-stained, mosasaur-infested water. Is it really any surprise he can't see what Blue really needs?
1. Prologue

_Please obey all park rules._

 _Safety is our biggest priority here, but it is a two way street. Please do not rile up the animals by tapping on the glass or poking them._

 _You have been warned._

 _ **Welcome...to the lab**_

 _ **-Prologue-**_

* * *

I remember a sun too bright.

Bright sun, icy air, and growls.

So many growls.

Loud…harsh…nonsense.

The cacophony that surrounded me—smothered me—made it hard to breathe; made it hard to break the smooth, hardness around me.

And then…he showed up. At first, he put out the cruel sun—allowed me to see the blurry shadows surrounding, circling…nearer and nearer. He then took away the cold, proving not everything in this life is harsh and icy. When he finally growled, it was soft…caring. It silenced all other growls. They were the kindest whispers to my ears. I think about it to this day.

My instincts tell me he knew I was defenseless. He knew I would need help. He provided that.

He quieted the chaos…

He couldn't save me, though.

He couldn't save any of us.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _Crack._

 _Crack._

 _Crack!_

All eyes turned to the incubator, something meant to provide life, yet so uncaring… A small piece of fear wondered if love could come from something so sterile. Considering it was bringing life into the world, love was needed, as much as hope.

The first one to emerge was bluish-grey in color. She squinted under the bright lights and shifted to bury her head in the shell. He leaned slightly to block her from the lights and turned up the heat in the incubator. A tiny clawed hand moved to cover her head. That's when he realized the flurry of excited voices around him. Turning, he looked at them.

"Hush!" he hissed. "She doesn't like the noise."

The lab quickly silenced.

He turned back to the little dinosaur and ran a thumb over her head; it wobbled as she blinked up at him. Bright yellow eyes. Black slits expanding into wide pupils, similar to a crocodile's. The feeling of warmth building inside was confusing. He stroked her soft skin again. "Hey there, little one. I'm Owen, but you can call me Alpha."

As she opened her mouth, a soft whine came from it. Tiny, perfect teeth lined the inside of her jaws.

"Exactly." He stroked her head with his thumb, and gave a nod. "I'm Alpha."

She turned her head into his hand as she stretched. White shell cracked and slowly fell away as she left the egg. He was surprised to find it revealed two dark blue stripes running from her eyes to the tip of her tiny tail. Her black claws flexed as she nudged his hand.

Pulling a towel from the silver tray next to him, Owen wrapped it around her fragile body. A smile crossed his face as her snout burrowed into it. The warm feeling spread throughout his body. Part of him was glad he'd accepted the offer when he'd tried to leave the Navy. Everything suddenly seemed worth it.

He watched as she dozed off. His voice barely broke a whisper. "I'm going to call you Blue."

* * *

 _Thank you for visiting._

 _Hope you enjoyed your stay and will return soon._

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	2. Fight Like A Brave

_Please obey all park rules._

 _Due to original development issues, certain liberties have been taken to expand and make the park fully functional._

 _Velociraptors are born out of pack animal research, information from the first Jurassic Park, and several classified genomes._

 _Graphic scenes will have a warning prior. Velociraptors are highly intelligent and extremely dangerous animals._

 _Thank you to Katnip for your kind review._

 _Safety is our biggest priority here, but it is a two way street. Please do not rile up the animals by tapping on the glass or poking them._

 _Don't ever turn your back on the cage._

 _You have been warned._

 _ **Welcome...to the Paddock**_

 _Chapter 1_

 **Fight Like A Brave**

* * *

Metal stone can be heard screeching around the territory. Immediately, I sprint to the northwestern wall. There's a space between our night caves and the metal jaws that clamp over our heads in which, sometimes, another cave appears. Stopping within the thick bushes, I scent for the possibility of food.

My gaze narrows on the dark opening in the corner not more than a leap and a half away. In the high sun, I cannot see what lies within. My tail switches as Delta slides up next to me. She leans slightly forward, nostrils flaring with each sniff.

"What's in there?" she growls softly. Her talons stomp on the damp wood chips, and she flexes her claws.

With a hiss at her, she backs up slightly. Eyeing the darkness, I take a deep breath. My head turns slightly to the side. It smells…familiar. Squinting, I try again to peer through the dark veil. Slowly, I step out of the cover and growl.

Two bright, blinking, yellow eyes peer from the darkness. Inch by inch, they move forward. The bushes rattle softly as Delta steps out beside me. She snorts as the shadow begins to form. A low growl forms in my throat as I realize it looks familiar.

The green-colored foot that moves into the light is a surprise. It reminds me a bit of Delta but lighter. However, before the creature is allowed the chance to emerge, there is a screech and a streak of brown.

A yelp echoes from the cave as a familiar snarl follows.

Without a second thought, I lunge into the dark. For a moment, my eyes can see nothing. When they do, my gaze settles on a creature cowering in the far corner attempting to hide from an onslaught of slashes.

In moments, I've wedged myself between them and snarl at the brown flash. "Echo!"

It's enough for her to pause. A flash of teeth, and a roar are what I receive in response. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

There's no mistaking the ferocity in my snarl as I pounce. Echo has been out of hand since she arrived one full moon prior. While she's sneaky and waits for the opportunity to take a snap at me, she's been getting bold. As we roll back into the light, and she snaps her jaws at me, I grow weary of her asinine behavior.

Planting my feet, I watch as her muscles shift into a lunge. It takes nothing for me to swing my tail and send her flying several feet. Her snarl consists of anger and shock. For a moment, I think she'll settle down and submit.

"We don't need another!" Her glare narrows as her brownish skin heaves with each furious pant. "You would know that if you knew how to lead."

My patience with Echo is thin. I have other things to worry about than fighting her. "You do not know what you speak about."

"We need food," she growls as her left foot slides back slightly. "That creature is either another mouth to feed or a full mouth. You'd realize that if you were competent."

I bare my teeth. If she's looking for a challenge… "If you think you know best, Echo, try me."

There's a growl of encouragement from the cave, and I'm surprised to hear it's Delta. Unless it's the night cave, she normally tries her best to stay out of cramped spaces.

Thinking I'm distracted, Echo lunges again. I step to the side. Echo is two full moons younger than Delta and me. While she may be more aggressive and angry, she's not as wise and allows rage to dictate her moves. This becomes apparent as she lunges a third time, and I roll under her.

While I am strong enough to put an end to this game, a lesson needs to be taught. It's not about strength. It's about cunning. As angry as she is, she isn't allowing herself to be levelheaded. She can't see the next move. She can't see the big picture. She can't see past the red rage.

I see her muscles shift to rush me instead. With a simple leap, I land behind her and turn to see Delta emerging from the darkness with a creature that looks strikingly similar. For a moment, my thoughts slide on the new. She's cute, in a way. Her bright green skin is flawless with youth and the dark green stripes on her back contrast well. There are several very light patches of blue around her jaw line, shoulders, and tip of her snout.

Regrettably, she is significantly smaller and this poses a problem.

Delta's snarl comes too late as I'm suddenly hitting the ground several feet away. It doesn't hurt, but I am stunned. Shaking my head, I see Delta move in front of the little one as Echo lines up a jump. As she leaps, I hit her mid-jump, sending her into the stone wall several feet from me.

By the time I've reached her, Echo's rolled to her side, blinking rapidly and trying to catch her breath. She shakes her head and looks up at me. A snarl forms in my throat as she attempts to rise.

"We can all share in the feast," she growls softly.

I look at the new green, scenting the breeze as it blows past her into me. "She's one of us."

Delta's roar sounds in my ears as I suddenly find myself on the ground again. I'm surprised to see Echo claw at me. In the distance, I can hear Delta shift her talons.

I hiss.

This started with Echo and I, and it will end between her and me.

With a whip of my tail, wood chips and dust flies into the air, causing Echo to back up and cough. It's not much time, but it's enough for me to plant my feet on the ground.

With a roar, I startle her, which allows for a well-placed tail whip that sends her flying several feet. Echo hits the dirt and rolls. This time I don't allow her a chance to stand. With a leap, I'm looking down at her.

When she struggles to stand, I place a talon on her muzzle and snarl. She winces and my talon slashes across her eye. It's an unfortunate injury, but she's lucky I don't rip out her jugular. The entire event is a regrettable situation, since she is my sister, but there is a reason I am lead.

"Echo, do not try my authority again. Next time, I won't be so kind."

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The sun reflects off the ocean and casts his shadow across the bars—which isn't a rare sight for him. He's here often enough in hopes of relaxing, and so is his shadow. Part of him wonders if there's some sign by the way it's looming there on the cold, unforgiving metal. It reminds him of those Slenderman Creepy Pastas the younger employees talk about. Owen's never been one for superstitions, though. And in any case, if a white, faceless man in a dapper suit showed up, he had four girls who'd put an end to that shit in an instant.

He leans against the wall, not too close to the bars, for he knows what can happen. More times than the park would like to admit, someone's got too close and found the hard way of what lies beyond.

 _Stupid,_ he thinks and crosses his arms.

He's got maybe an hour of dying light left; even now, it fades, and his shadows lengthens like a Laffy Taffy pulled too tight. That means there's less than an hour before his girls will be corralled into their cages for the night. He knows it's a sad fate for such pretty ladies, but the park demands it.

A slow glance is what he gives the quiet enclosure. The palm leaves appear waxy, as if they'd been bought from a home décor store and don't actually need water and sun to survive. Damp wood chips on the ground show no sign of the dark red blood that's been spilled on them. The enormous cement walls are silent, refusing to speak of the fight they witnessed earlier.

A sigh crosses his lips. Owen doesn't like it when his girls fight, but really, that's more to do with him than anything else. He's just not that fond of arguments.

Period.

While he learned to overcome fear in the Navy—needed to overcome it—family fights still haunt his nightmares. He's seen more hospital room trips for loved ones than he cares to admit. _That's what happens when you have unstable relatives and a brother who needed the military,_ he's told himself numerous times. And on more than one occasion, he remembers cowering in the corner—not unlike what he saw from Charlie today.

But those were different times, and now his family generally gets along, or so he thinks. He doesn't talk to them often because there's still a measure of grief they give him about working on Isla Nublar. Apparently, training raptors isn't a worthy profession to them—not that he's entirely sure he's worthy of training them.

If his past has taught him anything, though, it's that he wants better for his girls— _especially_ his Blue. She is his pride and joy. She is the light in his life. He's never had kids, but he's come to imagine his feelings toward her is quite like how parents feel over their tiny screamers. When he looks at her, he knows he's done something right and feels content. Not that he doesn't love the others…

Delta, she is wise, and Owen knows she lends this wisdom to Blue. She seems to be the stability in the pack, the one who keeps things from getting out of hand. Owen isn't oblivious to the fact that Barry has many of the same qualities and often gives the same advice he imagines Delta gives Blue. Perhaps that's why the man favors the dark green-grey raptor over the others.

Then there's Echo. She is, in essence, everything the first Park's raptors were made to be. She's dangerous. She's volatile. She's sneaky. But she does lack in cunning and intelligence. And that's where Owen thinks Blue has the upper hand and hopes it stays that way.

He can't lie; sometimes, he grows nervous of Echo being around Blue. Echo did kill her hatch mate several weeks back, resulting in an early entry into the main paddock.

Shaking his head, he feels some sort of sadness at the death. It reminds him of Charlie, but in a completely different way, and how lonely he imagines she must feel. He can't stop himself as he sees his youngest in the Hatchling Paddock, whimpering. He can see her crying in a way he never imagined raptors could. He can still feel his heart break as he sees her wailing out to the motionless sibling on the ground before her—a life not strong enough for this harsh world.

As he looks over the silent palms, Owen wonders where Charlie hides and if Blue has taken her in. He knows she's too young to be in the main paddock, but she also can't be isolated. She's barely five months old, and if Blue doesn't teach her, Echo will kill her.

Owen's thoughts circle back around to his main girl as he pulls a Slim Jim from his pocket. A soft tune leaves his lips, and he's barely opened the package before a soft growling is heard at the gates. Looking at him is those bright yellow eyes, which have matured in the past eleven months.

The tension from his shoulders and chest unravel as he smiles, and his song momentarily stops. He breaks the jerky and hands her half as he breathes out softly. "Hey, Blue."

She tosses the meat to position it better in her mouth before swallowing it. Then, she blinks at him. He can hear her scenting, but he knows she's not looking for more food at the moment. Those bright eyes blink at him, and he softly picks up the tune again. The cruel look that's taking over her features disappears, and her snout gently rests on the bars. He imagines she's thinking of how they used to spend time without bars and cold metal between them. Since she's been deemed lethal, he considers it a hazard to be around her. Especially when Delta and Echo enter the picture.

"I need you to do me a favor," he finally says and hopes she's can understand him. "I need you to take care of Charlie."

A soft snort is heard as Blue's eyes narrow slightly.

"She's all alone," he continues. "She needs a family. You're meant to be her family."

He takes a bite of his jerky before tossing the rest to Blue. "Please help her."

There's a smacking of lips before those yellow eyes appear again. A soft growl is heard as is the screeching of the cage doors opening. Blue looks over and Owen knows she smells the meal waiting for her in her cage. It calls to her more than a simple tune from a bedtime song. Her gaze settles on him again with a growl before she darts off for dinner and bed.

As the last rays of the sun fall over the ocean, Owen climbs on his motorcycle and rides for home. The entire time, he sings Blue's song softly to himself… "O-o-oh, child, things are going to get easier…"

* * *

 _Thank you for visiting._

 _Hope you enjoyed your stay and will return soon._

 _Please fill out the comment card below._


	3. Wind of Change

_Please obey all park rules._

 _Due to certain malfunctions some attractions have gone and are undergoing heavy construction in order to make it more enjoyable._

 _Safety is our biggest priority here, but it is a two way street. Please do not rile up the animals by tapping on the glass or poking them._

 _Don't ever turn your back on the cage._

 _You have been warned._

 ** _Welcome...to the Bungalow_**

 _Chapter 2_

 **Wind of Change**

* * *

Owen never gets a weekend, never goes on holiday. It's not as if the money isn't in the bank, it's just with four girls to watch over and train, he can't afford it. Plus, half the time he's pulled into meetings about things he really doesn't care about, and most of the time he feels like he's watching the paint peel during them.

Currently, however, he's on his hammock as the sweet morning air caresses his skin and for a moment he thinks it can stay like this forever. For just a moment, he's not responsible for anything. For this moment, he's on vacation. In his hand is a glass bottle of frosty Coke, which he has an affinity for, but no one ever seems to notice. The sleepy sun is barely peeking over the horizon, but it's perfect, because he's allowed to stay in that place between awake and asleep.

Thoughts roll in and out like the waves licking the shoreline. He thinks of the days when his family would go to the beach and no one would argue since they were all too busy burying each other in the sand with laughter to spare. He thinks of his days on the large ships when he had moments to look over the water and breathe in the salty, sea air.

He thinks of Blue and wonders if they've let her out to feel the cool air. She likes mornings about as much as she likes Slim Jims—or whatever treat he sneaks her.

The car he can hear rolling through the lushes grass path to his bungalow annoys him like the mosquitoes that come around at night. Just by the lack of sound it makes, he can tell it's something supposedly important. Grunts don't normally drive the quiet luxury vehicles.

He barely looks up as the car stops and out comes Claire Dearing—who he'd love to spend a few nights with, but he knows she's several screws short of a tool box for a real relationship. They don't speak very often, and most times, she's the one leading those ridiculously annoying meetings, which cost him time with his girls. He's mid-sip of his Coke when she walks up and looks down at him with those steely green eyes.

"Mr. Grady, we need to talk about the security measures you have in place at the Velociraptor paddock," she says in that tone that's too tight and makes him feel as if he's stuffed into a suit. "I have a few concerns."

"Name's Owen, but I'm sure you forgot." His certainty is reinforced when, out of the corner of his eye, he catches her brows pull together. Heaving a sigh, he doesn't even give her the respect of a full look, but instead, studies his Coke bottle as if it's the most fascinating thing on planet Earth. Not that she deserves a look either, seeing as she couldn't be bothered to learn his first name. "I'm not on the clock."

"You're always on the clock," she counters.

After finishing his Coke, he shakes his head and rises from the hammock. "I am always available for the raptors. I am not, however, always available to you or anyone else in this park."

By the way she crosses her arms and shifts her weight onto her left high heel, he can see she's annoyed. Not that he cares a whole lot, because he's nobody important in the zoo… Nobody, except the man who works with the most dangerous attraction on the island.

"I am your superior, and you will treat me as such. Now, how safe are the assets under your watch?"

Owen stops by the door of his bungalow and one brow rises. He isn't quite sure how he wants to respond, since she's just made two grave errors—well, three if you count the skirt suit she's wearing. Moving to the railing by his stairs, he sets the Coke bottle down. "First, those _assets_ you're referring to _are_ living animals. Something tells me you don't really understand this. Second, there's a reason you don't realize how safe they're _not,_ and that's because you don't know the first thing about respect. Now get off my porch and leave me alone."

"We're not through with this conversation."

Grabbing the glass, he opens his screen door and enters. "We're plenty through."

"We are doing construction to the paddock," she responds through the screen as if it's a two-way radio and he might not be able to hear him unless she raises her voice. "A viewing area is being added for the public. Focus groups are insistent on seeing these assets. I need to know there won't be any mishaps, since they're apparently fond of… eating people."

Owen's barely tossed his bottle away before he's back at the door. He can feel his anger rising and his shoulders stiffening. His thoughts immediately shift to Barry and how they're going to protect his girls. "Not a good idea. You are _not_ putting those raptors on display. They're not some side attraction. I'm not teaching them to jump through flaming hoops, pile into tiny cars together, and drive around this mad house. My raptors are living creatures and need to be respected as such. This isn't a pet shop, dammit."

"These animals are not yours, Mr. Grady—"

" _Owen_ ," he snaps. He hates being called Mr. Grady; it reminds him of his father.

"Owen," she repeats and takes a breath. "You do not own them. And _you_ are expendable."

He rolls his eyes at the _friendly_ threat. "Need I remind you, I'm not exactly hired by the park. It's only courtesy that I listen to your meetings or these crazy ideas."

"I am well aware you are contracted by the Navy, but if you read the fine print, Jurassic World owns you as well," Claire says, giving him a firm nod.

He shakes his head. She's like a child in the way she goes about things—a very manipulative child. Who hired her and why, Owen's dying to know because clearly that person isn't to be trusted. He takes a deep breath and tries to count to ten but only gets to three before responding, "I am not with the Navy, per se, and I'm definitely _not_ contracted by the park."

Her eyes glint, and he knows she's angry as she gives a huff. "Then why _are_ you here, Mr. Grady?"

It's far too late for him to retract the statement; he's stuck gaping like a big mouthed frog, and he's instantly grateful the screen is too dark to see through, because he looks about as foolish as he sounds.

"Those assets _are_ going to be made ready for the public." Her tone is cold and calculated like an orca going in for the kill on a baby humpback whale. "Whether you are here to oversee it or _not_."

There's a slight hesitation before he says, "The paddock is secure; it's the workers who are the issue."

His eyes close as his shoulders sag slightly. There's a pit in his stomach that makes him feel as if he's just betrayed his girls, but he knows that if he gets fired, the next person will only treat them like a circus act, and that's something he can't bear to think about.

He watches Dearing go, apparently satisfied with his answer. The amount of failure he feels in her wake, however, makes him need to use the wall for support. He does everything he can to protect his girls—especially Blue—from the harsh world, and he knows camera flashes are no way to spend a life.

Well, cages are no way to spend a life, but he has no say in that matter either.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The cave opening to morning light is a welcome sight, and I relish it as the cool air rushes over my skin, because sometimes, the lack of space gets to me during the night. It isn't long before I've found my way to my rock near the middle of the territory. It's tall enough that when I stand, I can see everything from the metal jaws to the night cages, but smooth enough for me to lay on. There's still dark fluff covering the sun, and I know I can doze for a while until it's too bright to ignore. It won't silence the animal roaring in my stomach, but hopefully, I won't think about food for a bit.

When a shadow moves above my head, I know I've hoped too soon. My eyes do not need to see Delta in order to know it's her. I do get an odd feeling from her, though.

"What?" I growl.

I hear talons click on my rock as they shift. "That scratch won't stop her."

She voices the obvious. Sighing, I peek up at her. "Here I was thinking I had an easy pass."

"Are you going to make a joke out of this?"

Rolling onto my back, I stretch out before rolling onto my other side. "I'm taking this seriously. Your concern has been taken into consideration and will be addressed in a timely manner."

In moments Delta's in front of me again, and I'm forced to look at her. "What happens when Alpha looks to her as beta? What then?"

"There's a _reason_ Alpha looks to me for everything," I hiss, and I'm certain she can hear the amusement in my voice. "And it's not just because I have the best-looking skin."

"You're _not_ taking this seriously," she growls.

Rising from my rock, I stretch. I can feel Delta's tension and fear which aren't misplaced. Nonetheless, it's true what I say about Alpha and she knows this. I am the oldest—Delta was born thirteen suns after me. I'm the strongest. I'm also the most intelligent and cunning. In addition, there's a bond between Alpha and me that none of my sisters have formed with him.

Well…

We _used_ to have a bond.

Echo doesn't understand any of this, though. She doesn't know how to think before she acts—not that I don't have that issue. But she doesn't know how to plan. She doesn't truly understand dominance. That's why she will never understand what it's like to be beta—if that's the position I'm coming into.

Delta snorts. "Will he still look to you if she defeats you?"

"Echo is a child, and Alpha would never see her any different."

The sigh that Delta hisses says it all. She isn't satisfied with my answers and still worries. As she lapses into silence, I know the subject will be approached again. Whether that's before or after Echo makes another challenge, I can't be sure.

To still the waters, I nudge her softly and receive one in return.

Delta's my hatchery sister, and I barely remember a moment without her. Until Echo came along, it was just the two of us, which had allowed us to form a close kinship. I will freely admit she is more levelheaded than I and also has a bizarre amount of patience. I do take comfort in this and find myself listening to her advice time and time again. Like now.

"Alpha named the new girl Charlie," Delta growls softly.

My eyes widen. "How do you know that?"

"I heard him tell you last night before we went to bed."

My time with Alpha is very limited nowadays, and despite everything, I'm definitely not keen on sharing it. Swallowing a frustrated growl, I tap my talon for moment before my lips turn slightly upward. "Did she get lost already?"

Her brows furrow together as she puzzles through my sudden change of topic. When she catches on, she casts a glance toward one cave that's been left open. "She's hiding in there."

"For being one of us, she sure doesn't act like it." I trot over to the paddock, Delta at my right flank. "Do you think the new one will come around?"

" _Charlie_ ," Delta growls, "seems rather young."

I snort. "What gave you that idea? The fact she's so small or the fact she's still in hiding?"

Without waiting for an answer, I pad into the cave. My eyes quickly adjust and I see the little one curled in the corner. "What are you doing?"

Wide, yellow eyes look up at me. My brow furrows as I look closely. Delta, Echo and I have long black pupils; hers, on the other claw, are circles in the center of her eye.

My talon taps against the ground. "I asked you a question."

She curls into a tighter ball and tucks her head under her tail, leaving me unsure of what to do. Delta and I have always walked together. When Echo came, she couldn't wait to get out. In fact, she attacked several trees, she'd been so excited. This one—this _Charlie_ —seems to be very unlike us.

Lowering my head, I let out a warning growl. "You will answer when I speak to you."

There's a sense of fear that radiates off her as she shivers. Starting at her head, a paler grey color spreads down her back and tail as her stripes turn solid black. If she's anything like us, it's a sign she's suffering from stress and anxiety. I run my tongue over my teeth and my talon taps louder.

"Perhaps if you speak to her a bit kinder, she'll trust us," Delta hisses softly from the entrance.

I purse my lips as I rock back onto my haunches. "Alpha called you Charlie. Is that correct?"

A small whimper acknowledges my question.

"My name is Blue," I growl softly. "Delta is at the entrance. We…We will not harm you."

Charlie's tail moves slightly and she opens an eye. The odd circular pupil settles on me. "Daddy said you're the beta."

My head tilts to the side. "Daddy?"

Her head perks up. "He brings me food. Usually those white, furry meats."

"His _name_ is Alpha."

Her brow rises as her bright green color starts to return. "All I know is Daddy brings the food and he said you're the beta."

Delta chortles from the door. I'm nearly positive it's over the beta comment—although the _daddy_ thing is quite laughable.

"She is," Delta finally growls. "She doesn't like the term. She'd _rather_ refer to herself as _lead_."

I blink as Delta cracks up again. Part of me wishes she was laughing over the daddy thing. However, her attitude causes Charlie to sit up. She looks at Delta and the fear recedes from her eyes. She then looks at me with a shy smile as her coloring returns to normal.

"You protected me from the brown one," she growls softly.

"Echo needed a talking to," I reply.

"You need to shove your talon so far up her a—"

"Language!" I snarl, and Delta's gaze snaps to the wall. When I turn back to the new one, my heart nearly stops. Charlie is in my face, nostrils flaring. My lip lifts as I cringe and hope she doesn't touch me.

When her snout touches mine, I have nowhere to go except backwards. In moments, her claws are gently touching my head and neck. I can hear Delta guffaw before there's a loud thump at the entrance. Craning my neck far from curious claws, I get a glance of my hatchery mate snickering loudly on the ground.

Pushing the little one away, my feet are under me in moments. With a growl, I walk towards Delta and trip, sending my sister into another round of hysterics. Confusion would have consumed me—since I never trip over my own feet—if I hadn't heard a yelp.

When Charlie appears above me and looks down with raised brows, wide eyes and a frown, I know it's going to be a long road until she can keep up with us.

Delta's laughter comes to an abrupt halt as she leaps to her feet. With a stiff tail, her nostrils flare and a growl forms in her throat.

Darting from the cave, I clear the space of our territory before I have a chance to take a breath. Looking at the eastern wall, I hear loud roars and screeches from beyond. I snarl in response as my muscles shift into a crouch.

Delta's on my right in moments, taking the same position as I am. Instead of snarling, however, she's sniffing, and her eyes scan the top of the grey rock. When another screech echoes, she winces and bares her teeth.

Even as I take a step forward, I hear Echo's snarl from behind me. I'm surprised she's shown her face so soon after our fight. However, this is a pack matter. Our territory isn't big, but it's all we have.

With a glance to Delta, I move to inspect the rock. Budging it with my head, I find it still unmovable. As I trot the length of it, I realize the growls are coming from the eastern and southern parts. The snarls are loud and unnerving, but they do not seem able to attack us yet.

When I make my way back to Delta and Echo, I'm surprised to see that Charlie has joined us. She immediately sprints over and nudges herself into my stomach as she crouches slightly. I try to sidestep but Charlie moves with me. The confusion on my face is spread across Delta's and Echo's as well.

"We need to keep a watch," I say. "There is no rest until those beasts are dealt with."

"And what of Alpha?" Delta questions.

It's been a while since he's actually tried to be with us, and I don't foresee that changing anytime soon. "We guard. This territory is all we have."

* * *

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	4. City of Safe Harbors

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 _Today is National Don't Put all your Eggs in One Omelet Day. In celebration, please visit Jurassic World's Hungry Caveman's Grab and Go for your complementary omelet._

 _In the meantime, if you would please look to your left, we've come to our next attraction._

 ** _Welcome...to the Cheeto Gate_**

 _Chapter 3_

 **City of Safe Harbors**

* * *

The roars sound louder than ever as I circle the territory. I fear it won't be long 'til there's a fight on our hands. Delta's been ready for several suns now, and Echo's constantly on watch. It's the youngest one I'm worried about. How do you fight and protect a hatchling?

I've come to the conclusion you can't, and that's why we train nonstop—or try.

Charlie's doing her best to keep up with the trot around the paddock. Since she only comes up to my chest, it's not a surprise she has to practically sprint to keep up. By the time I stop, several laps later, she collapses to the ground.

"I think I'm going to die," she gasps.

Delta calls Charlie dramatic. I'm inclined to agree. Even now, she rolls at my feet making gurgling noises and kicking her feet up in the air as her tail lashes.

"Good, more to eat," I say, and the animal in my stomach immediately growls a little louder.

She's on her feet in an instant and looks up at me. "You wouldn't eat me, would you?"

"I might." I nip at her and trot toward water. "If you don't stop with the antics."

"But, Blue…" she mewls, causing me to stop and glance at her. With a slight wag of her tail, she looks at me. "You run so fast."

Blinking, I turn and continue my trek to the water. Charlie falls in line at my left haunch. However, she has this little habit of nudging me or getting too close in which I'm either forced to stop or stumble. I've warned her numerous times to stop, but she doesn't seem to pick things up very quickly—Delta wonders if she even wants to.

At the watering hole, I catch a glimpse of Echo dozing in the shade before I lean down to drink when Charlie splashes in. A snarl promptly comes from Echo, who apparently chose this exact moment to suddenly hate water.

As Echo begins to rise from her spot, Charlie leaps out. She doesn't quite land on her feet, as she tumbles to a spot behind me. When I make eye contact with Echo, she looks away, shielding the eye I scratched.

With a glance back to Charlie, I tell her to drink. Apart from the lapping of water, there's a silence between us. I know it's supposed to feel uncomfortable, but it causes me to puff my chest out a little. Something about the act seems familiar; I can't quite place it.

A crinkle sound in the distance makes my mouth water. I am drawn to the noise. The smell doesn't have to reach me for the animal in my stomach to know what's coming. In moments, I'm through the bush, pausing just before the fleshlings can see me.

It's there, I stop, because it suddenly dawns on me why the chest-puffing is familiar. As my gaze settles on Alpha just beyond the metal jaws, I'm reminded it's him who's done that in the past, and my eyes close.

Suddenly, I'm not in my territory anymore. I'm in Hatchling Territory where the bushes aren't large enough to hide in, and the animal in my stomach is silent. Alpha and Delta are there, and he keeps telling us "eyes on him" and every time we do it, he throws us the small, white creatures I enjoy.

And after Delta wanders away, it's just him and me, and he's growling softly at me, like when I first saw him. He's telling me things I don't understand, and despite the many times I've nipped him and he's bled, his fingers are still running over my head, which makes me happy because I like the feeling and the closeness.

Suddenly, he's pulling a crinkly sound from inside his color-changing skin and holding out an orange thing that tastes crunchy but fluffy. I lick my lips and growl for another, which he gives me and laughs like Delta after I've just run into a tree because I was klutzy. I know it's not malicious by the feeling he gives off.

A whimpering snaps me from a place of peace, and when my eyes open, I am back in my territory.

My muscles stiffen and my tail is straight. The ground around me feels unbalanced because it's in the Hatchling Territory where I would see Alpha puff out his chest. He'd look at me with a sparkle in his pupils—round pupils that I now realize are similar to Charlie's, in a way—and bare his teeth in what I thought was a smile.

Blinking, I see Echo at the gate, snarling and sniffing at Alpha. Perhaps Delta is right, and he will look to Echo. If he does that… where would that leave me? Would I even care? Things between us are so different now. Is he still Alpha? Should I bother to fight this?

The whimpering catches my attention as it growls this time.

"Daddy?"

It feels like there's something stuck in my throat, and I do my best to swallow it down. The roars are loud in my ears and my breath comes in pants.

"Blue?"

It takes me a moment to realize it's Charlie's voice. Blinking, my gaze focuses on her. She's crouching next to me and trembling as her coloring turns grey.

"You're… You're all grey and black… Are… Are you okay?"

I snap my jaws at her and realize she's shivering with wide eyes. Taking a deep breath, I forget the memories that don't matter anymore and realize something new.

I can train Charlie from sunrise 'til sunset, and she's not going to learn everything Delta, Echo, and I know by the time the creatures get here. She's not old enough. And just like it had taken me time to stop crashing into trees, it's going to take her time to learn anything I teach her.

"Come," I say softly. "Alpha…Daddy, he's busy right now."

Her chest heaves a sigh as she turns and follows me back to the water. She's upset now, but at least she won't be in pain later.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

There's a loud crackle as the puff Cheetos are opened, but when it only brings Echo to the gate, he knows it's worse than he thought.

Blue's avoiding him like he's got the plague, and he isn't sure what to think. He's forced to give directions to Echo since she's clearly the only one who will sort of tolerate him for an extremely short amount of time, and that's only _if_ they've all gotten rats first. Owen had known that adding to the paddock would upset them, but he never imagined Blue's reaction.

Part of him wants to think that's a huge female issue in some way. They're always saying one thing then thinking another, and nothing you can do is ever right because, hell, they're not even sure what they want. Like when they're begging for a ring, and you give it, and suddenly, they're sleeping with your Commanding Officer, O'Reilly, but that is neither here nor there and probably a bad example.

 _Claire Dearing is probably a good example_ , he thinks. She hounds him and stands around, barking orders at him, and the way she treats his girls is despicable at best. She talks about them like Delta can't understand what she's saying, but he knows for certain Delta can understand. It angers him in a way because once, just _once_ , he wishes he could know without a doubt that Blue understands him, too.

And then he stops and remembers Blue isn't like the human race. Her motives are led by nothing other than her thrill of the hunt and the promise of a meal, whether she can understand or not. It's been so long since he's gotten to be around her without the gates, and he almost wishes he could have been in charge of training the baby triceratops, since at least he could have been around them and touch them without fear of losing a hand.

But he wouldn't trade his time with his girls for anything in the world, even though it had to end.

"Where have the girls been?"

He's pulled from his thoughts by Barry, who leans on the wall and overlooks the endless sea. The man's gaze is distant, and it seems like he needs a vacation as well.

"Well, Mr. Durant," Owen says, taking on his most Dearing-like impersonation. "These assets just don't understand what it is we're trying to do for them. They'll understand shortly though, since the fences are almost completed and ahead of schedule, I might add."

The man laughs; it's deep and comforting, causing Owen's shoulders to relax in a way he hasn't felt in quite some time, which means he's laughing as well.

When Barry quiets, he clears his throat. "You are tense, Owen. Relax a bit. At least we got them to add the training paddock."

With a tilt of his head, Owen has to admit Barry's right. With Blue ignoring him, he's been out of whack. Not to mention the fact that he's now piled high with responsibilities he'd never dreamed and he has to make sure the raptors don't eat visitors. He can't help but be irritated, since he was hired to _train_ them, _not_ turn them into flying monkeys for huge crowds.

On the bright side—if there was one—they'd received approval to give the girls an area to run in. At least, Blue would be allowed to sprint again without fear of running into walls when he gave them a scent to chase. Perhaps it would also give him an excuse to get out of those pointless meetings.

"I must say though," Barry continues, "Delta does not like all this noise."

Owen looks at him, and he's confused. Blue will barely look at him, but it's like Barry's out having dinner with Delta every night discussing life. "How do you know?"

"First, I see it in her coloring. She has been turning grey since this project began. Then, I see it in her eyes. When she looks at me, her gaze is different. She seems fearful, defensive, and protective."

"Of Charlie?"

"Of the _pack_ ," Barry answers. "Do you not see Delta and Echo taking watch while Blue is with Charlie?"

He feels as though he's been caught with his pants down as he realizes his attention has lacked lately. He'd failed to see that his girls would perceive this as major threat. He'd known they wouldn't be happy, but he'd gotten too caught up in so many other things to understand how they would truly view the construction.

But of course Barry sees it. That's his job. He'd been brought in to monitor the Raptors' status. While his degree isn't in dinosaurs, he does know a lot about animals in general and has already proven to understand how it affects their health when it comes to these types of changes.

"Do you think it's becoming a major concern?" Owen asks as his attention is pulled toward an arriving van. It's an odd thing to see through the haze of dust, and he wonders what's going on as twelve people step from the van, since he hasn't been told about any arrivals.

"I think we need to continue to monitor the situation closely," Barry replies somewhere in the distance. "Dearing would like you to interview those people. She demands we choose seven to add to our staff, since she believes you do not have adequate coverage."

Owen's eyes widen like quarters, and he looks at Barry like the man'd just told him he's going to live on Jupiter from now on. Owen's already struggling with the twenty-four people he's in charge of, but making it a solid thirty-one? And he knows that his girls won't settle for this.

"When was she going to tell me this?"

"I thought she already had." Barry gives Owen a pat on his shoulder as he sighs before putting on a smile and walks to the twelve confused-looking people. "Welcome!"

Owen's rubbing his face as if he's just been spit at by the dilophosaurus, and his skin crawls with anxiety. If he makes the wrong choices, it's not only going to cost him time, but lives. With a deep breath, he joins Barry near the group.

He stiffens up and looks into each face of the…hopefuls? Internally, he can feel himself wince. It's not a feeling he wants to show, nor does he want these people to realize how stupid he thinks they are for applying to such a dangerous job.

Owen catches a glimpse that each of them are carrying a manila folder which he assumes holds their resumes—all of which are probably filled with skills irrelevant to this job. Most of them are well-dressed which won't get them anywhere here because it doesn't matter what you're wearing, his girls are not discerning and will eat them, hide, suit, and all. They're predators, plain and simple, and he wonders if any of these people actually understand that.

"Well," he says as he runs through a few options of what to say next in order to wean out the ones who would be eaten first. "I don't know what you were told about these job openings or what you think you're getting into, but I can assure you what lies beyond those walls doesn't care about your skill set. They will still kill you given the chance. Your flesh will be ripped from your bones, your innards will go next, and hopefully you'll be dead before any of that starts, since it's a very agonizing process."

Several of them blanch and Owen squares his shoulders. He wants them scared, he wants them terrified, he wants them to run, because dealing with his girls is not an easy job and the mortality rate is higher than the promotion.

He then forces himself into a smile that he thinks probably looks fake, but he can't help that. "Who wants to go first?"

Several of them volunteer, and Owen picks a random man wearing a dark blue suit and a red and grey striped tie. Leading him to a small office trailer Dearing has supplied them with until the new paddocks are finished, they climb up the squeaky steps and enter.

While it's new, everything in it seems to have been purchased from craigslist, since it's all rickety and mismatched. Owen thinks it might fit his bungalow, but for an office, it doesn't give high hopes, and he wonders what happened to the "spare no expense" slogan. Pointing to a wooden chair that rocks when the man sits in it, Owen moves toward his seat in a swivel chair, which appears to have been torn apart by his girls first.

"I'm Benjamin Sháo, Ben for short," the man says blurts out and holds out his resume.

Owen keeps his face calm and is suddenly glad of the three-legged desk between them, because he's sure Ben would have gotten in his face like an excited puppy. Taking the resume, Owen glances over it before looking up again.

"So, Ben, what—"

"I graduated from Harvard with a Master's Degree in Animal Science. I also majored in Paleontology and was on the Speech and Debate team," Ben gushes and runs a hand through his dark hair. "I can be a valuable asset. I am able to speak to big groups and can do so when the new paddock opens."

"Wow, you're ready to go." Owen takes a breath as he contemplates if the man has just had six cups of coffee or is normally that hyper. "I was actually going to ask what makes you want to risk your life daily?"

"Sorry." Ben chuckles and breathes out as he slows down. "I've worked at several zoos with the higher-risk animals, and I come with great recommendations. I found that those animals, while interesting, lose my attention after a while. I want to work with animals the public doesn't fully understand."

"These aren't lions," he says and runs a finger over a soft scar on his left wrist. "You can't escape once they attack. We've already lost several members—and there is no open casket option."

Ben smiles. "Well, apart from being the coolest thing ever, it's something worth dying for. Very little is understood about the creatures made here, and I would love to be a part of that discovery."

Owen doesn't agree with Ben or the next six people who think the job is the "coolest thing ever". Things take a slightly interesting turn when he interviews Mandy, but that's because she's dressed as if this is an interview for an escort service instead of Jurassic World.

Mandy chews her gum and leans slightly forward as she points to a job on her application. There's a slight purr in her voice as she says, "Right there, see? It says Silver-Fox Palace, so I have worked with dangerous animals."

He's pretty sure that a real fox and the silver fox she's worked at are two _very_ different things, but he doesn't question it and simply nods as Mandy continues on about things that don't pertain to live animals. The words "peep", "live", and "show" are all mentioned but in no particular order, and he's suddenly wondering if she thinks the Raptors are stuffed or extremely docile, but he's afraid to ask what she's done with the real animals she's mentioned.

When Owen dismisses her, she's batting her eyelashes and giggling which shouldn't be making her breasts jiggle that way, but it does.

Tanner Poola is the next one and explains how he's worked with birds prior, and Owen's heard that dinosaurs are either from birds or lizards, depending on the day, so Tanner might be a good fit, just to have his bases covered. With another glance over of his portfolio, it shows he's also a hard worker. Tanner's not only managed a few businesses but worked at the local zoo all at once.

By the time the last girl arrives, Owen's bored and finds himself unable to keep his attention until he gets to the last question. The only thing he's noticed is that she fidgets more with the dark-framed glasses in her hands than wears them, causing him to wonder if they're prescription or those hipster ones he's heard of.

"Why, Miss Doe, would you want to work with such dangerous creatures?"

This draws her attention to him, and suddenly, she's as calm as an apatosaurus. "There is a saying: 'a ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not what a ship was built for.'"

It isn't the first time he's heard that saying and probably won't be the last. It's a good one he admits, but it's foolish in this context and he opens his mouth to tell her so when she continues.

"Plus, I have no family, so who's going to miss me if one of these things gets me?"

And he's left contemplating if that's a good qualification or a sad existence.

* * *

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	5. Where'd You Go?

_Please obey all park rules._

 _Attention: we are in need of a senior paddock keeper, no questions asked. Please send your resume to Human Resources, attn.: Abigail Willows._

 ** _Welcome...to the Gate_**

 _Chapter 4_

 **Where'd You Go?**

* * *

Owen's less than 36 hours away from the opening of the attraction. He hasn't slept, nor has he eaten, and he certainly hasn't had any time with his girls. This entire build has thrown his life so out of whack that he isn't even sure if he'll ever figure out how to function normally again. He's also confused as to what it means to laugh or joke, and he wishes he could remember what those words even mean.

Currently, he's forced to stand in front of people and give a speech about their own stupidity. He chose the best seven candidates from what he had available from that crap shoot of interviewees. Now, those seven newbies dropped to six, and he doesn't know who exactly to blame, but somehow he thinks it might be Dearing, because she's the one who decided he needed more people. However, if he's trying to look on the bright side, the staff is at an even thirty now, and that's something he thinks he can manage.

Owen can feel the tension, thick and suffocating, and that's not just because they're outside where it's humid and uncomfortable. Worried, angry eyes are on him, seemingly holding him responsible. These people are looking to be coddled, and he's never been the best at wording things nicely. All the same, if he sugarcoats anything, the death count will rise, and that's not something he's willing to allow.

"I have said this before, and I'll say it again," he starts. "Never, _ever_ turn your back to that fence. Just because the velociraptors seem to comply at times, doesn't mean they're trained."

The crowd around him shifts uncomfortably like he's just announced he has Ebola, and they could be contaminated. Many of their gazes avoid his and suddenly find a spot on the wall, which apparently looks like Harrison Ford or Marilyn Monroe, they're so interested.

But what did these people honestly expect? It's not like InGen bred fluffy puppies or adorable sea lions, which you could watch play with colorful balls, feed, and cuddle with—not that he's sure he'd cuddle with a sea lion. No, they bred Raptors—vicious and carnivorous predators that are highly intelligent—and InGen, along with everyone else, expects them to perform like circus animals.

"Are you sweeping the fact Andrew was killed under the carpet?" asks a dark haired man.

Owen knows him as Hank and tries not to sigh. Hank is not one of the new ones and has always been a thorn in the side because the man believes this job should be simple. He's another who thinks raptors are house pets. Some days, he wishes Hank would fall into the raptor pit, and that would be that.

Owen wets his lips. "I am not undermining the fact that Andrew was killed. We all feel a loss at today's mishap. What I am reiterating is you can _never_ turn your back to that gate."

"Can't we just put the brown one down?" asks a brown-haired woman named Julie. Owen despises her high-pitched voice, which he thinks sounds similar to nails on a chalkboard. He isn't quite sure how she ended up on staff—or how she's managed to survive—since he was not involved in _her_ hiring process.

"The _brown one_ is Echo," Owen snaps, his patience running thin. He doesn't stop to think that maybe he should take a nap and eat something like a Snickers before speaking to these people. His gaze settles on her, and he can feel his eye twitching. "Look, Julie, I know you haven't been here very long, but you could at least learn their names. And this isn't like the Petsmart you came from, where the most dangerous animal you've come in contact with is the customers—"

"Echo is only acting as a wild animal would," Barry interrupts up from his right and places a hand on Owen's shoulder. The dark skinned man is calm and keeps eye contact with the crowd. "Echo is not at fault for today's tragedy. No one is to blame. Accidents happen. That is why we must learn from this."

Owen finds himself relaxing. If there is one thing Barry is good at, it's seeing all sides of an argument. Plus, that means he doesn't have to talk to Julie and her stupid Petsmart logic or thorn-in-side Hank.

"Please understand what has been said here today and be more cautious," Barry says and gives a nod acknowledging the meeting is done.

As the area clears, Owen sighs. He rubs his eyes that hurt like hell and often feels as though they're turning into those googly ones his vision is so blurry. He knows with the countdown, he won't sleep tonight either. This time it won't be because of the meetings or issues; it'll be because he'll hear Andrew's screams in his ears, see Echo's claws stretch through the gate and rip out his throat.

The blood will drown him.

Even now, Owen has trouble breathing as it fills the darkness of his eyelids.

Yet, he still can't bring himself to blame his girls. They are acting on merely on instinct. And they can't be at fault for that. So, who is he trying to blame?

As he rises, however, he sees one of the new girls—whose name he can't quite recall at the moment—lingering in the corner and approaches her. "You, newbie."

The bite in his voice causes her wide gaze to turn on him.

"Why didn't you warn Andrew about being too close to the fence?"

Barry turns to him with wide eyes. "Owen, I don't think now is the best time—"

Her brow rises as she fidgets with the glasses in her hand. Owen wants an answer, but Ben is suddenly there, handing him several Jolly Ranchers.

"Eat a few of these," Ben says. "Then, speak."

Owen looks at Barry, who gives him a nod, and he settles next to glasses girl. He's managed to put a grape-flavored one in his mouth, which keeps him from saying anything else for a while. By the time he's reached his third—which is blue raspberry—Barry's gotten him water, and he feels his muscles unwind.

He brings himself to look at the girl with the glasses. "Sorry, Doe."

"These things happen. Today was a tragic situation," she responds and rises from the chair. "I'll try better next time."

Owen knows it isn't her fault. It's his, and that's why he's trying to blame others. But if he opens his mouth, he'll probably shove his foot further in it. He rises when she does and trails her towards the main gate. Ms. Doe splits off to the steps while he turns for the paddock entrance. Owen catches Ben saying something to her before he approaches.

"Do you feel better?" Ben inquires.

He's just starting on his fourth Jolly Rancher and gives a nod. "Somewhat."

"Those Snickers commercials are no joke. Low…low blood pressure can affect your entire personality and when it's paired with lack of sleep…" he trails off as if he's a bit unsure what he's saying, but that's probably because Owen has chewed off a few heads in the last several minutes. Ben shoves his hands deep in his khaki pockets. "My suggestion, if you're not going to sleep, is that you keep a snack with you at all times today. Probably get some sort of nutrition as well. Perhaps an orange juice."

"Are you a doctor?" Owen asks.

"Not entirely…"

"Not entirely?" Barry questions with a raised brow. "And yet, you know about the human body?"

Ben runs a hand on his neck. "Well, you see—"

"Mr. Grady?"

Owen winces as he looks over to see Dearing approaching him like a stampeding triceratops. Barry suddenly decides that the muzzles need to be looked over for maintenance while Ben scurries off faster than a mouse.

Her hands settle on her hips. "Mr. Grady, what is this I hear about one of your employees being…eaten?"

The sip of water he takes is probably a lot longer than it needs to be as he braces himself for the storm. "Again, it's Owen. And it's exactly what you heard it to be."

"I thought you had this under control? I thought you said those assets were safe?"

"Those _assets_ are living dinosaurs, and I had thirty-one people running around who are extremely inexperienced. You can't just drop seven new people on me while I'm still trying to train the others," he responds and takes another sip of water while he eyes Barry, who is not really inspecting the muzzles.

"The raptor exhibit opens tomorrow, bright and early."

Owen sighs before finishing off the bottle. A cold tingle runs up his back as he gets the feeling of being watched. Out of habit, he glances to the palms. "Push back the opening, then."

"No, we're already sold out for the next month. The paddock is to be assessed today–"

His attention snaps to her. "You don't even leave time for trial and error?"

"The paddock is seen as secure, so that is not an issue," she responds and glances to her ringing phone before giving a curt nod. She looks up at Owen. "We have been given clearance to initiate a trial run of the paddock. We will open up the locks if you could please direct the assets into the addition."

He pops the last Jolly Rancher to keep himself from saying anything stupid. As he followers her out, he casts a glance backward to see Echo studying them. He wonders if she's plotting his demise. It's not like he probably doesn't deserve it.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

I'm woken by a nibbling on my tail. It's not enough to hurt or break skin, but it is enough to irritate me. With a flick of my tail, I earn a yelp and quickly see Charlie move into my sight.

Wide eyes are focused on me as she rubs her snout. "That hurt."

"Don't bite me," I growl in response and shut my eyes again.

There's a _plop_ next to me, followed by a nudging snout. "Can we play?"

"Find Delta."

"Delta's not you."

Heaving a sigh, I crack an eye at her. She laying there with big, pleading eyes, and I hate when she does that. How I can snarl at her when she just wants my attention and a playmate?

I rise from my rock with a snort. Charlie is much more tolerable than Echo, but there are times when I just want to sleep and ignore the roar in my stomach.

Without a word, I start into a trot around the territory which has been silent as of late. Although it seems the creatures beyond have given up, I'm still expecting an ambush at any time. There are more fleshlings than usual, which means something is going to happen.

Echo has tried on several occasions to hunt them and was nearly successful today except the metal jaws stopped her. As I glance up to them flying above us on rocks, I wonder if it's possible for me to fly as well.

The thought vanishes as Charlie moves in front of me. She's been faster at running and isn't always content with our slower trots. With a snap of my jaws, she slows and takes up position to the left of my tail.

"Why does the grey stone surround us?" she asks.

Her question is surprising. It's not something she's asked before. I always thought she accepted the mountain for what it is, unlike the rest of us. I've tried to leap it but found it too high. Delta has tried to dig under, but it seems it has unknown depths. Echo has tried slamming through it countless times.

Charlie has always appeared to see it as the immovable mountain in which, occasionally, there are caves opened by the fleshlings.

"I know Alpha keeps us here," she continues. "But we can't even run. And we know there's a lot more beyond these walls. I mean, you came from the other territory, too. Right?"

I slow to a stop and look at her. The top of her head reaches my neck now, and her eyes are always full of questions. The light spots of blue have faded and her color is not as bright as before, making it easier for her to blend into the bushes.

"Why did Daddy put us here?"

I snort. " _Alpha_ did not put us here."

"Then why did he allow the fleshlings to put us here?" Her brow furrows as she shakes her head. "Is it that red fleshling? Does she control him?"

A growl forms in my throat that mimics the animal in my stomach. "Do not listen to Echo's insanity."

It is Echo's belief that Alpha has some form of loyalty toward the red fleshling we've seen lately. The female is constantly pacing the other side of the large metal jaws, and Delta growls that the female snarls nothing nice.

Charlie hisses a sigh. "The female is always here, though. Echo says she brought the roars with her."

"Echo doesn't know what she speaks of!" I snarl, and my tail stiffens. "She does not command this territory. You listen to me, not her."

She crouches slightly and whimpers. Charlie never tries to upset me. In fact, with tensions high about the creatures beyond the fence, she's the only one I can tolerate for any length of time. Delta is too concerned, asking me what I'm going to do about this, while Echo is off hiding in the bush or trying impress Alpha.

Charlie… At least she's easy to manage. Mostly, she wants to run or play hide and seek. It doesn't take a lot of focus to do either of those, but it does not silence the animal in my stomach.

"Come," I growl softly and begin to trot the territory again.

Glancing back, Charlie has her nose in the air, and there's a look of peace on her face. It's surprising because I can hear the animal in her stomach growling as loudly as mine. It's as if she's content just following me, which makes no sense. Doesn't she want to eat?

When I come to a halt again, she moves to my left flank and waits. I watch as she digs her claws against the ground.

"What?" I ask.

She takes a breath but looks away to the ground she's still digging at.

"Just because I'm lead doesn't mean I know what you're thinking," I growl. If I knew, I'd know why we're kept in this place. I could get us out. And I could know why Alpha stays away.

She sighs and looks at me. "I'm… I'm hungry."

Perhaps I do know what Charlie is thinking. Or maybe I listen better than others. Still, my heart sinks. I know what that hunger is like, and I wish she didn't have to face it. I nudge her lightly. "Perhaps Alpha will come with meats today."

I see a spark in her eyes, and her tail swishes slightly. I don't have the heart to point out I said _perhaps,_ which really means _no_.

Delta suddenly leaps out a bush, and I stiffen. Charlie startles and cowers next to me. I close my eyes. She needs to stop being so fearful. That's not how we act. However, Delta and I didn't become hunters overnight.

"There's activity on the East side," Delta informs me. She snorts and taps her talons against the ground.

My tail rises as a growl forms in my throat. This is the moment we've been waiting for, and suddenly, I'm unsure of what to do. I need to defend the territory, but what becomes of Charlie? Where do I put her? Where will she be safe?

I hiss and give my head a shake. "Where's Echo?"

"Watching through the bush. Fleshlings are at the top. They have the movable silver cave."

Snorting, I find it odd they're going to give us food. What is this about? I turn toward the East, and Delta immediately lines up with my right flank. I pause to look at Charlie, who's still hunched toward the ground.

She looks up at me. "What's happening?"

Scenting the air, I discover there are at least twenty-four different fleshlings and none of them are Alpha. It should be manageable should they attack from a lower position. And if Charlie is near me, she can be of some help, but I can also keep an eye on her.

"Time for another lesson," I growl.

To this, she perks up and takes position next to my left flank.

"Keep quiet. Follow my lead."

I pick up a trot and slide into the bushes as silent as a shadow. It's not long before I find Echo. Her gaze is on the top of the grey rock where fleshlings walk back and forth holding those lightning sticks of theirs.

They don't worry me as much as the dark opening in front of us. That side of the territory has never held a cave, and I'm worried the creatures will attack through there.

"What's going on?" I question.

Echo tilts her head toward me but doesn't take her eyes off the fleshlings. "I think they want us in there."

"Is Alpha here?" Delta questions as she positions herself between Echo and I.

"He was by the large jaws earlier with the red fleshling. He has disappeared since."

Shifting, I give a nod. "Stay here."

Delta grumbles in disagreement but remains rooted as I trot into view. I remain close to the bush, since it's the easiest way to disappear. Fleshlings are horribly loud and can't manage leaves the way we can. I'm surprised when they throw a piece of meat to the ground.

They've tried this several times before, and while we always get the meat, we never seem to quite respond the way the fleshlings want. But, on days when we've killed a fleshling, we never receive meat.

Something's not right.

"Daddy!" Charlie suddenly shrieks from the bushes and comes crashing out in front of me.

A shriek leaves my mouth, and I'm not sure if it's from being startled or the fact she suddenly has rocks for feet.

"What the hell?" Echo growls, and I quickly remember that she's never heard Charlie's term for Alpha.

Snarling, I quickly move in front of Charlie. When I look up again, Alpha's gazing down at us. I watch him, challenging him to come down to our level.

He quickly disappears from sight, and I'm not entirely surprised. He often leaves when I— _we_ need him most.

With a snort, I turn for the bushes. Charlie takes her spot at my left flank, head bowed as she follows. She's sucking in several breaths to keep herself from whimpering. Better she learn now that he will always stay at that distance.

The low growl of the large metal jaws grabs my attention. Why would they be opening? Echo killed that fleshling earlier. My tail stiffens as it hits me.

The creatures from beyond the fence.

Sprinting, I rush the gate with a snarl. I will kill whatever has entered my territory. It will not get to my sisters.

I reach the gate in seconds, and my eyes widen. Skidding to a stop, the ground under my talons scatters everywhere. A growl forms in my throat as I lower my head slightly, bracing for a pounce.

I stomp the ground as the challenger raises a hand. I can feel my sisters behind me, waiting for my call. Echo's growl is low and there are notes of uncertainty in it.

I don't know what to do. I never expected this, and my talons shift back and forth. I can feel my chest heaving and if I don't get it under control, Echo will use this as an opportunity.

"Easy, Blue."

I can't stop the screech that bursts from my throat in response to what I can understand. It's so hard to breathe. Everything is confusing, and I'm growling in an attempt to seem like I don't want this, because I can't want this.

The smell of white, furry creatures from the bucket pulls my attention, but I can hear something crackle.

"Eyes on me."

The air around me stills as I look up. Before me is a tasty stick of meat. However, that's not what I focus on. A request was growled to me, and I comply.

I look at Alpha.

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	6. Welcome to the Jungle

_Please forgive the late attraction, the curator has been extremely sick. She's still a bit down._

 _ **Welcome...to the Confrontation**_

 _Chapter 5_

 **Welcome to the Jungle**

* * *

"Are you crazy?"

He barely glances at Barry. Owen probably is a little crazy and a bit stupid, which he attributes to lack of sleep. Even after a full night's sleep he normally wouldn't have entered the paddock. However, the girls need to enter new area and if he doesn't coax them in there, he worries what Dearing may suggest.

As he locks the entrance a buzzard sounds reminding him of a hockey game. Another goes off as the gate to the paddock opened. A breath leaves his lungs as he grabs a bucket of white, limp rats and steps into the territory.

He's barely past the safety of the gate and placed the metal bucket on the ground before Blue comes barreling toward him like a linebacker. She's suddenly skidding to a halt, and he has to shield his face from the mulch she kicks up. When he looks back at her, she's growling and he sees her muscles shift for a pounce.

What worries him, though, is the fact the other three join her. In hindsight, he probably should have had them locked away first before he ventured into insanity.

"Easy, Blue," he says softly and doesn't know how to take the screech he earns in response. Perhaps if Barry was here, he could translate.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see security death gripping their non-lethals as if his girls are suddenly going to jump up there. Owen would bet the raptors can feel their uneasiness—not that they don't have a solid reason.

Owen is surprised at the contortions Blue's face makes as she growls and for a moment he wonders if she's confused. When her eyes settle on the bucket of rats, he thinks better of it and pulls jerky from his pocket.

"Eyes on me," he says as he opens the wrapper.

There's hesitation as she looks from the bucket to the jerky, and he begins to worry if this was a smart idea. Perhaps the Jolly Ranchers didn't help his decision making. His heart is starting to pound when Blue finally looks at him. His shoulders relax and the rest of his muscles unwind.

"That's my girl," he whispers and breaks off a piece of jerky. He's glad to know that his girl still responds to him. Owen tosses the jerky to her and watches as she effortlessly catches it in midair. She's beautiful, so intelligent and an apex predator. He can't help but feel pride at how she's grown. When she finishes the jerky, she smacks her lips as her attention focuses back on him.

With slow, deliberate steps, he grabs the silver bucket and begins walking toward the new paddock. With head slightly turned, those bright, yellow eyes of hers watch his every step and that's what he's counting on. As he passes her, he focuses his line of sight on the open door. After a moment, he hears a soft chirp and then the soft padding of talons as Blue follows him.

Her footsteps are much quieter than his own and if it wasn't for the mulch under her talons, he probably wouldn't hear her at all. It's amazing how built for stealth and speed his girls are. Why no one can understand that is beyond him. And while he knows he's foolish, he has a feeling Blue won't allow any harm to come to him.

For a moment, Owen thinks about how things used to be when he could freely walk among his girls in the Hatchling Paddock. He finds it sad they grew up so quickly. They had used to be quite comical and very loving. For a while Wu worried they wouldn't turn into the killing machines the military desired.

When he reaches the new doors, he pauses. With shoulders squared, he turns to Blue and tosses her another piece of jerky. "Good girl."

As Blue munches on the jerky, movement catches his attention, and he can feel his blood chill.

With calculated and deliberate steps, Echo moves towards them, her gaze focused solely on him. He can see where Blue scratched her two months ago. The fact she's walking isn't the problem. It's the look in her eyes. He's seen that look once before, and it had been when she killed her hatch mate.

Blue's head turns slightly back, and with a flash of her white teeth, she growls at Echo. When Echo hisses softly in response, Owen's suddenly wishing he had the raptor Rosetta Stone, because by the way Blue's lips cover her teeth again, he's worried.

When Blue's feet spread slightly apart as she lowers her center of gravity, he can feel the blood drain from his face. With a look to Echo, whose gaze is narrowed on him, he stiffens like a board. He doesn't think that Blue would allow Echo to become the beta, but now he isn't so sure.

Blue snarls several hearts beats later causing Echo to take several steps back. Owen finds himself releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. The fact that his girl is still in charge comforts him in some way. For a moment, he realizes that despite his shortcomings, he's raised her right.

With newfound faith, and bucket in hand, Owen moves toward the opening again. If he can just get Blue into the new paddock—

The moment a shriek sounds off, he freezes with fear, and by the time he can turn, he realizes Echo has gone after Charlie. Blue's on her in a moment, making sure Echo doesn't move. Delta leads a whimpering Charlie toward the sleeping cages. Owen watches as Blue turns and trails them.

A sigh leaves his lips. He'd warned Dearing about leaving no time. Grabbing the bucket, he turns to leave. It's then he pales because Blue missed Echo's real target.

He knows he can't outrun those narrowed eyes, but if he can get into the new paddock, perhaps she'll be overwhelmed by the newness.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

As Alpha stops by the dark cave, I'm unsure of what to do. I accept the hard meat he tosses me but hesitate to follow him any further. I wonder what's in that cave. Will it hurt me? Will it hurt my siblings?

The shifting ground behind me catches my attention.

"He follows the red fleshling," Echo hisses softly.

I turn partially toward her and bare my teeth. A growl comes from my throat. She knows better to approach, and I can't imagine her causing a fight when Alpha is so close.

Echo doesn't stop but walks closer as she hisses louder. "This will be our deaths. You know the red fleshling does not like us."

I cover my teeth and shift my feet slightly. Echo has a point. The female has never been kind to us. In fact, she makes sure we don't have enough to eat.

"It's us or them," Echo continues. "He has decided to turn on us. He is no longer Alpha. We must kill him."

As she reaches me, I snarl, causing her to retreat. She's lost any ability to lead if she thinks killing Alpha is our best option. I don't care how she views him, he's still…

Well, something.

I watch as he picks up the small, shiny cave again. He moves toward the new, dark cave again. Clearly Alpha wants us in there, but—

A shriek goes off behind me and I spring into the air as my eyes widen. A snarl leaves my throat when I see Echo slashing at Charlie. Delta slams into her, momentarily stopping the onslaught, but Echo shoves her to the ground in the next instant.

I don't snarl again until after I've rushed Echo and slammed her to the ground. Her jaws close as her gaze drops. With a snort, I turn toward Delta, who is leading a limping Charlie toward the night caves. She's whimpering, and I walk toward her.

"Is she all right?"

Instead of responding, Delta nudges Charlie softly and the little one's tail drops. I can feel my teeth clench. Perhaps Delta is right. Maybe Echo needs to be put in her place before something worse happens. What if next time she kills Charlie? What if she kills Delta?

I pause.

Something feels off. The sound of moving ground grabs my attention.

Turning, I see Echo sprinting toward the new cave. I hiss as she disappears into the darkness. What does she think she's doing?

Her shriek sounds from beyond the new cave. She's hunting something. There's been no—

 _Charlie was never the target._

My eyes widen as I realize she's outwitted me.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Turning, he sprints down the dark corridor.

When he enters the light, Owen looks up at the large bay window to see Dearing watching in that white skirt suit of hers. Her face forms into a scream making it seem that the raptor scream is coming from her instead of from behind.

Spinning, he swings the bucket just in time to smack Echo across the face. He isn't spared the slash across his left arm in which he utters a curse and knows it's going to need stitches. He also isn't prepared for her tail to send him flying several feet, and he's certain he hears several cracks. Mulch digs into his face as he rolls and sputters.

He's unable to move as she appears above him, teeth bared, soft clicks coming from her throat. The slash he feels rake across his ribs causes him to turn to his side and throw up. He never thought that he would die this way. He always thought if he went, it would be Blue that killed him.

Suddenly, there's a shriek, and Echo's thrown from his vision. Owen can't move as Blue appears above him. Her screeches are the last thing he hears before the world disappears.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Sprinting, I hold my breath as I enter the darkness. Before I know it, the sun is on my back, and around me is a strange new territory. I can't focus. The new smells overwhelm me. There's a blinding light off a clear rock ahead of me. The bushes around me rattle in the breeze.

With a shake of my head, my gaze settles on Echo who has pinned Alpha to the ground. There's an anger within me I've never felt before, and it's burning my body.

"What do you think you're doing?" I shriek.

I don't even give her a chance to respond as I leap and slam into her. I snort as she skids across the ground.

Echo's up in a moment, and trying to sidestep me to get to Alpha. I rush her, and my teeth tear into her shoulder. I can feel her claws digging into my flesh, tearing into my skin. I can feel her slowly trying to shift my talons.

"He doesn't deserve to live!" she snarls and tries to shove past me.

I will be dead before I let her kill him.

And that seems to be what Echo wants as she keeps snapping at the beating spot in my neck. I keep dodging, because I know if she grabs it, it means certain death.

If she can only wear herself out from her aggression, I can get the upper hand. My thoughts begin to reason again as the anger slowly leaves. I don't want to harm her. Her anger is misplaced. It's the red female she should be mad at. If she would calm down and leave Alpha alone, I can make her understand.

However, I miss a tail swing and suddenly end up on my left side. Instead of attacking me, she sprints to Alpha for the kill. My gaze narrows and I feel the anger burn in me again. Leaping to my feet, I hiss as my left claw and talon scream in hurt. Snorting, I ignore it. I rush Echo and lunge.

My talons slam into her and send her flying. Echo hits the grey rock and drops to the ground, motionless.

I can smell the sweet scent from Alpha's red life source. I look down on him. He's not moving. I listen for a heartbeat, but all I hear is those small, dark flying buzzes. I do hear a whimper and realize it's from me. Darkness takes over my vision, and the last thing I feel is the hard ground.

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	7. Lullaby

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 **Welcome...to the Ambiguity**

 _Chapter 6_

 **Lullaby**

* * *

 _—13 Months Ago—_

 _The incubator plays host to one egg that wobbles from time to time. It's signaling that, within a few hours, there will be another addition. He hopes it's the one with the iguana DNA added, which he's already named Charlie. He's been told there're six, and they're mostly put together with different lizard DNA along with a few classified modifications—something he isn't quite sure he grasps. In any case, he's taken the liberty of naming them all, but hasn't the slightest idea which order the groups of two will come in._

 _Owen observes his first gazing at him from the incubator. She's twice the size she was twelve days ago, but he's seen her growing slow slightly. He wonders if that will change when her hatch mate makes an appearance._

 _Her breathing is similar to an infant, quick and sharp. He's made sure she's well-fed, resulting in a cute round tummy. Her yellow eyes are heavily lidded as she tries to stay awake._

 _It isn't long before she's drifted off, and he carefully approaches. He hasn't stopped admiring her blue markings or her sharp claws. He can't get over how cute she is when she yawns and shows those pointed white teeth. She's adorable._

 _And she's his._

 _This isn't what he expected when he'd told Vic Hoskins that he'd train raptors. He'd thought they'd be full-grown and vicious. He'd thought it would be difficult. Perhaps he should have understood the fact that in order to imprint on him, they would need to be hatched._

 _Gently, Owen picks up his little Blue. Supporting her chest and rear, he cradles her against him like a puppy. She whimpers softly before nudging against him and sighing softly. He shifts her again, holding her like an infant. Lightly he rocks her and can't help but grin like a fool._

 _She's beautiful._

 _"Mr. Grady?"_

 _His silly smile disappears as his attention snaps to the door where a dark-haired man in a white lab coat enters. If he remembers correctly the man's name is Henry Wu, the head geneticist, and the man responsible for the little girl he holds in his arms._

 _"It's Owen."_

 _"Owen, then," the man says with a simple smile, but Owen has a feeling there's something hiding in it. "She seems to have imprinted on you."_

 _Owen glances at his girl before looking up again. "I suppose so."_

 _"Hopefully her hatch mate will be along within the next day or two." Wu approaches the incubator and looks at a few monitors. After grabbing a clipboard and making a few notes, he turns his attention on Owen and the raptor. "She's a gorgeous specimen, isn't she?"_

 _"She is," Owen agrees and bites the inside of his cheek as Wu comes closer._

 _"Her patterning comes from the Black-Throated African Monitor. They are incredible animals and can make great pets, if they're taken care of."_

 _He looks from his girl to Wu. "I thought these weren't pets…"_

 _"They're not," Wu comments. "I heard you've been naming them like pets, though."_

 _"I'm not naming them like pets. I'm giving them identities. If I'm supposed to be training them, I can't call them all Raptor."_

 _"Perhaps you feel that way about the others, but I wonder if you feel that way about this one. You seem to be paying special attention to her."_

 _"She's new," Owen objects. "The novelty will wear off, and she'll be just like the others when they come around."_

 _Wu gives a nod. "Hopefully that novelty will wear off quickly, since by eight months, they'll be lethal."_

 _Wu moves to exit the room, but pauses at the door. "Remember, Owen. These creatures are to be trained for military application. That means in a war zone, there is the possibility of death. I wouldn't recommend growing too attached to them."_

 _With that, Wu leaves and shuts the door behind him._

 _Owen looks down at the girl in his arms. He shifts her so her head rests on his shoulder, and he runs a hand down her spine. He fights off a smile as she snores softly. He runs his tongue along his teeth as he realizes he's already in too deep._

 _Before long, he's pacing the room. How does he stop the military from gaining access when he's already agreed to help them? They're already planning on using the raptors as a tactical unit, but if he's honest, they're counting their eggs before they hatch. When these creatures become lethal at eight months, who knows if they'll take orders?_

 _Right now, his little one is only concerned with warmth and a full stomach. He doesn't know if she'll even respond to the things he commands. She could very well eat him._

 _Another thought rises and pushes the others out of the way. While he hasn't met all his girls, he worries about them being killed in combat. Just because they're predators and created for this purpose doesn't mean they can just be sent to hell for the sake of it._

 _He stops pacing and leans against the wall closest to him. Owen looks down at his girl. His Blue. In that moment, he decides that no matter what, he will protect her with everything he has. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe._

 _Owen startles as the hatchling in his arms begins to gasp for air. He shifts her to discover she can't breathe._

 _"Blue?" He can feel his heart begin to race. "Blue?!"_

 _With baby in tow, he's at the phone, shouting for assistance. In moments, a medical team bursts in and takes the hatchling from him._

 _He barely notices Barry asking him what to do as the medical team takes his girl from the room._

 _"Watch the egg," Owen manages to whisper as he follows them out._

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

—Present—

Hurt!

Hurt!

Bright lights…

SHARP!

Poke…

Sharp screeches…

Hurt!

Growls…

Cold…

Hurt!

Air…

HURT!

Sleepy…

Where am I?

Alpha…?

 _Alpha?!_

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _—13 Months Ago—_

 _His heart is pounding as he watches the medical team hook Blue up to machines. Her oxygen levels are low, and her heartbeat is slowing. God's not at the top of his list, but he's begging the Man Upstairs to save his little girl and making promises he's never made to anyone before—not even the Navy._

 _He bites his lip as they poke and prod her. He's not sure if she can feel it, but he can feel it for her, and he thinks for a moment he should leave. However, every time he goes to take a step, he finds that his feet are cemented to the floor._

 _A clock snaps loudly from down the hall, counting the seconds. It seems to mock Owen as if Blue's life is slowly diminishing with each tick. He can't help but wonder if the clock stops, does that mean his baby girl is dead?_

 _Owen's never been a parent, but he can't help but wonder if this is what parents feel like when their child is sick. It's a pain he's never experienced, and he's been through some pretty bad situations in the Navy. This, though, this is like his heart is being crushed into a million pieces and so, so much worse than when he found out his fiancée was sleeping with his C.O._

 _At some point, Owen realizes he's shaking. He can't stop himself. How could he? He's scared as hell and can't think straight. In an attempt to calm himself, he begins humming softly. While he knows Blue can't hear him, he still hopes that maybe she can because she always likes when he sings. She always calms when he's got a tune going._

 _Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows hours have gone by. He hasn't moved, but the medical team has. They've placed Blue in a baby incubator, and she apparently is stable. He's still humming when an auburn-haired nurse approaches him._

 _"Mr. Grady?"_

 _He clears his throat as he looks at her, searches her green eyes for answers. "Owen."_

 _"Owen," she responds softly. "It seems she suffered from some form of apnea, which is when breathing stops for more than twenty seconds. It can also cause the infant to stop breathing."_

 _"Was it because I was holding her?"_

 _The nurse gives a small smile and shakes her head. "No. They are not sure what's caused it. Her vital signs are very strong, but the apnea is causing an issue of bradycardia."_

 _"Which means?"_

 _"It's an abnormal slowing of the heart rate. It's treated by dealing with the underlying cause, which in this case, is the apnea," the nurse informs him gently. "She will be under observation for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I am a bit curious, though, since we know so little about these creatures. Are you under any stress?"_

 _Owen bites his lip and shrugs._

 _"I only ask," she continues, "because animals are aware of emotions and if she sensed something in you, it could have affected her."_

 _Owen's brow quirks, and he thinks that's probably the dumbest thing he's ever heard. Just because he's stressed about her future doesn't mean she can feel it. Who gave this nurse a degree?_

 _"Anyway, if you don't mind putting on scrubs, you may go in."_

 _He doesn't need to be asked twice, partly because he's glad to put her assumptions behind him. Before he knows it, he's dressed from booties to hat and mask. He looks a bit silly and wonders if the gloves are overkill, but if it allows him to see his girl, he'll do anything._

 _The baby incubator with a rocking chair next to it is a hugely intimidating. That's normally used for actual human babies, and that's something Owen doesn't think he'll ever be ready for. It's a scary thought, and he's nowhere near ready to give up any of his freedom for a screaming bottle-slash-life-sucker._

 _The irregular beeping of the heart monitor spooks him, and his thoughts focus solely on Blue. She's out cold, and he doubts if she knows he's around. He wishes she knew he was there, watching over her. He wishes she knew she wasn't alone._

 _Taking a breath, he places his gloved hand in the incubator. Gingerly, he runs his hand over her tiny body causing her muscles to twitch, and the beeps become even more frantic. Owen pulls his hand back and rips off the glove. He doesn't know how, but he's willing to bet his girl thinks she's with strangers._

 _"Blue, please don't die. Please fight," he says softly and his heart is pounding in his throat. Owen isn't sure what to do but he knows he can't lose her. Slipping his hand back into the incubator, he says one more prayer to the Men upstairs and starts to hum. "If you can hear me now, I'm reaching out to let you know that you're not alone, and if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell—"_

 _A doctor rushes into the room, and Owen holds up a hand as he watches her heartbeat steady. The more he hums, the more rhythmic it becomes._

 _He finds himself relaxing as her levels steady. Owen leans his head against the thick plastic as he gently runs his hand over her fragile body and continues to hum. "'Cause I have faith in you, that you're going to make it through another night…Because you're not done, You're far too young and the best is yet to come…"_

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

—Present—

It's dark and there's a rhythmic growling bouncing against the inside of my head. I'm having trouble placing it.

There's a warmth on my stomach, and I can hear two separate breaths around me. Opening an eye, I see Delta lying near my head. She's facing the entrance, and I think she's asleep. I can't see her head, so it's hard to be sure.

My gaze slides to my body. Charlie's curled in a tight ball with her head on my stomach. My nostrils flare as I take in the scent of my sisters and my territory.

My heart begins to pound as there's hurt on my back and sides. My talons kick out as I push myself away. Charlie startles with a yelp, and Delta's up in moments, snarling.

I don't stop moving until I'm wedged in a corner of my cave. My breath comes in pants. How did I get here? Last I remember, everything was bright, cold, and hurt. It was cold. My eyes look around as the growling in my head starts again. Why can't I remember?

"Blue?"

My attention snaps to Charlie. She's whimpering softly and sniffing. I can feel my chest heaving. How did I get here? What happened?

Delta moves towards me and sniffs. "Blue, we were so worried. You were missing for nineteen suns. We're so glad you're alive."

Nineteen suns? Am I alive, though? What happens when my heart stops? Do I think I'm alive? Do I see my siblings? Are they dead?

"What's wrong?" Delta growls and begins nudging me.

Her snout hits one of the places that hurts, and I snarl, sending Delta back a leap. Charlie shudders as she lowers her body to the ground, and her tail tucks between her legs.

I find it hard to swallow as I look at both of them. They're staring, and I can see they're worried. I open my mouth to growl in response and find my throat hurts. A whimper escapes. What happened to me?

As I lean against the smooth wall of my cave, there are parts on my back that bring sharp hurt. It's hard to position my body to avoid it. I can't quite stop the hurt, but at least my breathing slows. By the time I focus on Delta and Charlie, they've moved closer for comfort but enough for space.

"What do you remember?" Delta hisses softly.

My gaze settles on her for several long breaths. Her brow scrunches, and I can sense she's fearful. I don't think she knows where I went. I don't know where I went.

"I had… stop Echo…" I finally croak, and it's difficult to growl anything. My throat burns hotter than the sun on my back. My gaze, however, rises to the entrance, wondering if she'll make an appearance. If she does, I am in no position to fight her.

"We haven't seen her," Charlie whimpers before slowly moving next to me again. Her head nuzzles against my chest. "Did you kill her?"

I can't remember. I know there was a fight. I can't grasp why. It's blurry.

"Perhaps some food will help," Delta growls and rises.

It's with great effort that I rise onto wobbly legs. Charlie is by my side gently, helping me steady myself. When I finally manage to stand, she's waiting next to me trying to anticipate if I'm going to fall. She's nearly eye level with me now, and I'm sad to have missed her growth.

It hurts to stretch, and I can hear several cracks in my bones. Have I been sleeping these past nineteen suns? If so, where?

Delta walks toward the entrance as Charlie keeps pace beside me. Normally, this would upset me since I prefer to lead, however, I can barely walk as it is and find myself relying on Charlie. In that respect, I'm glad she's grown.

As we leave my cave, I look up to spot a square black rock on the wall. It's never been there before.

"Those appeared after you fought Echo," Charlie hisses softly. "They follow our movements."

I give a soft nod as I continue on. The walk is slow and hurtful. I know I sound like the fleshlings trying to make my way through the bushes. By the time Delta stops, I'm panting and my body feels like it's going to fall apart. However, the smell of meat draws my attention, and I watch as Delta begins to dig.

"Kind Hand calls those black rocks, mrahs," Delta growls.

My jaw clenches. I'm irritated she can understand the fleshlings, especially the dark one she calls Kind Hand. It's something I've always wished for.

"From what I understand, it's a creature that can see us," she continues. "So, we need to stick to the bushes even more."

Delta backs away from the hole she's uncovered. My eyes widen as I notice it was once a fleshling.

"How did you hunt this?" I hiss.

"They've been clumsy as of late," she replies. "This is the seventh since you've been gone."

I can hear the animal in my stomach snarl and force me forward. I sniff what's left and my tail gives a hurtful swish as I lower my head and nudge the meat lightly.

Delta's left the heart for me along with some of the more filling innards. As I pull pieces of flesh from the fleshling, the rhythmic growling bounces around my head again. It seems so familiar. I've heard it before. My thoughts wander as I munch on the heart.

I think of the Hatchling Territory and all the time spent there. Delta and I would practice leaping and growling. We would often drift off to sleep, and our stomachs never growled. The more I think about it, the more I remember the rhythmic growling and its source.

I stiffen.

The growl inside my head is what Alpha used to growl at me.

I'm in pain as I sprint toward the large jaws. I can feel Delta and Charlie chasing after.

"Alpha!" I bark. "Alpha!"

Fleshlings gather around with their lightning sticks, but none of them are Alpha.

"ALPHA!" I bark with all my might. Where is he?

"Blue," Delta hisses softly and I turn to her. "We haven't seen Alpha since Echo attacked him."

Breath doesn't enter my body. It feels as if my heart has dropped into my stomach. That's right. She attacked him. Was tearing him apart. Toying with him. That's why I went after her. That's why I chose to step up as beta.

I stumble sideways and find myself sprawled on the ground. Hurt is overwhelming me, but it's not all from my skin. It's from inside, and I wonder if my heart is stopping.

Is Alpha dead?

A hiss passes my twitching lips as I bark again. "Alpha!"

* * *

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	8. Without You Here

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 **Welcome...to the Return**

 _Chapter 7_

 **Without You Here**

* * *

Echo is standing over Alpha. Her head snaps left, then right. A growl leaves her throat. I can't move or breathe. I try to snarl. I try to move. I'm frozen in place as her teeth tear into his throat. Darkness then swallows me in sharp jaws.

A yelp escapes my throat as I crash into the walls of my cave. My heart is racing as if I've been sprinting for hours. I find it hard to breathe as my eyes adjust from one darkness to another. It's warm in the cave, but I shiver.

The world around me is quiet. The whimpers that escape my throat seem to echo around the cave. I haven't made those sounds in a long time, and I wonder if Delta can hear me. Swallowing roughly, I force myself to quiet. There is no room for sadness here.

My gaze settles on the top of the cave, and I wonder if Echo is okay. I didn't want her to kill Alpha, and I didn't want to kill her. It's an odd feeling, since I normally hunt without care. Echo, though, she was one of us. If I'm responsible for her death—

The crunching of ground catches my attention and suddenly I'm on my talons. I sniff, and wait.

There's a soft scrape against the back of my cage. A growl forms low in my throat, but I keep it from growing. I don't want whatever is out there to know I'm here. Instead, I look to the five circles on the back wall. Through them, I can see the moonlight. I can also smell a fleshling beyond.

It's vaguely familiar, but not one of the normal scents. I also smell fresh meat. The rich scent fills my lungs, and my mouth begins to water. I can't see much through the circles, but I can see a shadow moving and there's another scrape.

Meat appears at the bottom of my cage. Sniffing it cautiously, my tail begins to sway, and I devour it. By the time I move back to the circles, the fleshling is gone.

Curling in a ball again, I find myself staring at the wall opposite me as rhythmic growls bounce against the inside of my head. Who brought me meat? Is Alpha alive?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _—14 Months Ago—_

 _"Mr. Grandy, if you'll just initial on these lines, we'll get you all set up," says one, Abigail Willows, as she points, with long, hot pink nails to the bright pink post-it arrows on the document._

 _Owen's out of fight to correct his name as he finishes signing his life away for two years. He knows what the disclosures and liabilities mean, but once he finishes out his contract, he's absolutely free._

 _After spending the last eighteen years of his life in the Navy, he's really done with the idea. Not that they haven't been good to him between the schooling and the traveling, but he wants to move on. He's ready to do something else with his life, even if that means he has to forgo his retirement_ – _and nearly did._

 _But this opportunity came knocking, and they convinced him to join the reserves. If he gives them two more years, he'll retire with full benefits. So, he knows he has to agree, right? Opportunities like this don't happen every day._

 _After checking to make sure his name is spelled Grady on his papers, he hands them over to Abigail Willows and looks toward the door. Is he done? Can he leave? He really is worn down from reading paper after paper consisting of "we will cover full burial costs should the issue arise" and "we are not liable to be sued if you sustain injury or death that may occur here". He understands the costs. He's used to them._

 _"Welcome to Jurassic World, Mr. Grandy," she says with a bright-white smile, hands him a packet, and points to the door like she's sending a dog outside. "Out the door, you'll travel left down the hallway and find a circular desk on the right. Marsha Williams will have everything else you need, and she will assign you an apartment for living."_

 _Grabbing the packet, he has to admire the process. Other than being long, it was very cut and dry. As he exits, he turns left and begins his trek to a new chapter of his life. Something in him builds, and he finds himself excited._

 _Owen doesn't find himself hopeful very often, and the feeling is a bit overwhelming. He doesn't mind it, though. Maybe it's just a part of this new chapter, but it feels bigger. Somehow, someway, this place is going to change his entire life._

 _And he doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing._

 _"Owen Grady!"_

 _Pausing, he looks to see he's reached the circular desk on the right. While he spots a brunette woman sitting behind the desk, his attention is drawn to the stout man in front of it. The man approaches with a large smile._

 _"Owen, my boy. Pleasure to have you on board."_

 _With a curt nod, he extends a hand. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Hoskins."_

 _"Call me Vic." Instead of shaking his hand, he places a burly arm around Owen's shoulders and leads him toward the door. "So, what attraction do you want to see first?"_

 _Owen looks back at Marsha. "Shouldn't I be getting stuff from her?"_

 _"We'll have it sent over," Vic says and leads him outside to a Polaris RZR. "Hop in, I'll show you around."_

 _The ride is a blur. They drive past so many places and see so many things, Owen worries he'll never know where to go. Also, he's heard that men only have a daily vocabulary of around seven thousand words. However, Vic floods him with so much information, he's absolutely positive that statistic is wrong._

 _What finally catches his attention, though, is when they stop on the beach. The ocean is an indigo and as endless as the sapphire sky above. It's tranquil, and he feels at peace. He feels as if he can breathe for the first time in his life._

 _"So, should we find you an apartment now?" questions Vic._

 _His lips purse momentarily before he looks at the man. "Can I request to have a bungalow out here?"_

 _Vic grins. "We actually have one. I'll show it to you."_

 _And Owen starts to think maybe he'll have this job for more than two years._

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

—Present—

I'm barely out of my cave before a loud shriek startles me. The cave that sometimes appears between ours and the metal jaws begins to open. Quickly, I duck into the cover of bushes. Delta and Charlie greet me with a nudge before we stare into the darkness.

A pit forms in my stomach as a brown snout pokes into the light.

It's been five suns since I've returned, and the suns and moons seem to blend together. I don't have the strength to fight the emerging Echo. While I've gotten extra meat every night, it's not enough to chase away the fact my eyes feel as if they're going to close.

Turning, I head for water. Delta and Charlie emit a click in surprise, but they follow. It's changed a bit since I've been lost. Now there's two parts. One is higher than the other, and the higher one pours water into the lower. We normally drink from the higher, and Charlie plays in the lower one. Today, I want to rest in the lower.

"Blue," Charlie growls as she follows me into the water. She settles on her haunches as I lay in the water. "You're not going to growl anything at Echo?"

She receives a look from me, but I offer no answer. Echo's death will be one less thing I see at night when I normally sleep. It still won't stop the fact I'll see Alpha.

Delta stands at the edge and from her raised tail, I know she's bracing for Echo's appearance.

And it's only a few heartbeats before she does appear. Her eyes dart between Delta and Charlie before settling on me. She takes a step forward and Delta growls a warning. Echo hisses back but takes another step toward me. When she reaches the edge of the water, she lowers her body slowly to the ground and turns her head revealing her the beating side of her neck.

"I'm sorry, Blue," she whimpers.

I rise and approach. She doesn't move as I circle her and sniff. I can see marks on her skin that are similar to the ones on me where claws and talons slashed through. Pausing in front of her, I notice her jaw is slightly off. My chest tightens. I must have done that in the fight.

What surprises me though, is her eyes. They're not angry like before. Instead, they seem sad. I exhale and give her a nod. "You can get up."

She moves into a standing position. Charlie splashes behind me and turns to her with a soft growl as Delta braces for any sign of attack. Clearly, they can tell I'm not myself.

Echo lowers herself onto her haunches, and her gaze drops toward the water. A whimper escapes her throat. "I'm sorry…"

Taking a few steps toward her, I sniff. There's something changed about her, and I don't know if that's for the best. If she's not herself, she can get us killed. It's then I pause.

The only one here who's capable of fighting at the moment is Delta. Charlie's hiding behind me, Echo's whimpering before me, and I can't bring myself to do anything except stare into the world around me.

I take a breath. One thing at a time, I suppose. I can't do anything about Charlie, or myself, but perhaps something can be done about Echo. I can feel fear coming from fear. Part of me thinks it's always been there, just hidden under all that rage. I don't know why she would be so afraid, though.

"Why are you scared?" I growl softly.

She looks up at me, wide-eyed. "I…"

"I know you are. Tell me why."

Echo hisses softly and seems to shrink. She gives a cautious glance to Delta before dropping her gaze to the water again. "I… I killed my hatch mate…"

"I knew you were no good!" Delta snarls and Echo winces.

"Silence!" I snap and bare my teeth. Delta slightly lowers herself to the ground and quiets. However, her narrow stare is fixed on Echo. Charlie nuzzles into my side as I look back at the brown. "Why?"

She doesn't immediately respond but instead blinks. I don't know that she's making up a reason; I think she's hidden the reason for so long, and she's afraid to tell. I settle onto my haunches. If she needs time, I can give that to her.

Echo notices my movement, and her nose twitches as she studies me. Finally, her gaze settles on me. Her growl is soft, nearly silent. "It was…kill or be killed." She swallows roughly. "She wasn't like me… or any of us. She had these things poking out of her skin similar to the flying meat we see."

"You killed her for being different?" Delta growls. "That's—"

I silence Delta with a stare before turning back to Echo. "Explain."

"That's not what happened," Echo growls and her tail curls to the side. "She… Yes, she was different, but I didn't kill her for it. I didn't…" She silences again before looking at me. "She was bigger than me. Stronger. Her idea of playing was pouncing, pinning me to the ground and biting me. Alpha and Kind Hand weren't around often. I saw the red fleshling mostly, who did nothing. Time after time, my hatch mate attacked me, and each time it was worse. I couldn't sleep, she took my food… There was nothing I could do to stop her. I did everything I could to survive."

Echo's gaze drops. "She knew when the fleshlings weren't watching, and one day, when they weren't, she came after me. It was different this time. She hid in the tall brown bushes and jumped down, pinning me to the ground. She slashed at me and when she tried to dig her teeth into the beating in my throat, I knew she wanted to kill me.

"If I didn't fight, I wasn't going to make it. Something in me changed. My body grew hot, and I snarled at her. I just wanted her to stop, but she wouldn't. It was by luck she showed her beating neck and I… I… Suddenly there was blood everywhere."

Echo sighed and blinked. "It took me a while to realize she had stopped moving, and when I looked up, Alpha was watching with Kind Hand. I know they didn't like what I had done, and they've never trusted me since.

"And who could I trust? I might look like you, but Delta and you were close. I was an outsider. I was just trying to live. And then when that one—" she gestured her snout to Charlie. "came along and you accepted her so readily… Even fought me, knowing we don't receive enough meat here, and she would be just another mouth to feed. I…

"I didn't know what to think. It grew worse with the creatures' roars beyond the territory. Who do I trust? What do I believe? The red fleshling had left me in that territory with my hatch mate. So when Alpha started talking to her, what else was I supposed to do? She had already shown she didn't prefer me and caused Alpha to mistrust me. I thought he was here to kill us on her demands."

Echo turns away. "I didn't know… I didn't realize it was another territory until it was too late."

Delta makes no move to snarl as she watches wide-eyed. I'm not sure what to say to her. It's Charlie who actually makes the first move.

"Hatch mates… They're not always the best," she growls softly. "And you did what you had to. You needed to survive."

Echo's brow rises as she looks at the youngest.

"We're all just trying to survive," Charlie continues. "Maybe we can… we… Maybe you won't attack me anymore."

With a blink, Echo gazes at the youngest. "I can try."

Charlie smiles before sighing and falling over with a splash. "What if we were water meat-eaters instead of…of…not water?"

"You mean ground meat-eaters?" questions Echo.

With a nod, Charlie laughs. "Yeah."

I nudge Charlie before glancing at an approaching Echo. She looks at me, wide-eyed and muscles tense. I nudge her as well, and her brow pulls together. She moves away to splash in the water, which draws Charlie, and soon, they're squawking at each other.

"She doesn't know how to play," Delta's soft growl grabs my attention.

"No, she's not like us. We were lucky." I look at her. "However, at least Charlie can teach her. She has enough energy for all of us."

Delta nudges me. "I was wrong about her."

"We were wrong about her," I respond.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _—10 Months Ago—_

 _Owen watches as Delta and Blue chase each other around the Hatchling Paddock. None of the ferns are large enough for them to hide in, so he can usually keep track of them. Several large trees dot the area, mostly blocking out the sun. Blue likes the trees. She will often hide behind one and jump out to surprise Delta when she trots past._

 _Grabbing a silver bucket of rats, he enters the paddock, Barry in tow. Blue has disappeared, but Delta bounds up to them. Her eyes are on Barry. Despite the fact she saw Owen first, he knows she smelled Barry first, since she'd hatched the night Blue entered ICU: a night he doesn't like to remember._

 _"I almost wish they did not have to grow up," Barry comments and grabs a rat. He tosses it to Delta._

 _"They want these vicious beings to hunt down Al Qaeda. I'm sure the terrorists will be quivering when they come up begging for a rat," Owen laughs. Putting the bucket down, he scans the territory. Blue is behind a tree, but he's not sure which one._

 _Pulling beef jerky from his pocket, he slowly maneuvers through the enclosure. His Blue has picked up this game because he taught it to her. While his girls learn many things on their own, hide and seek came from him. He would hide behind the trees and jump out in surprise. More than once, it cost him a trip to the emergency room, but it was worth it when Blue started mimicking him._

 _Now, as he looks about the paddock, he's proud to see she's learned so well._

 _"I know you're here," he says and turns just in time to see her pounce on him._

 _Owen finds himself on the ground with Blue stabbing her snout into him as she inhales him. Laughter bursts from his mouth as she grabs the jerky and collapses on him._

 _Pushing off his girl, he admires she's the size of a Great Dane. She seems to be growing like a weed and growing more intelligent by the day. He isn't surprised when she's shoving her snout into him, looking for more jerky._

 _Pulling out another piece, he unwraps it and gives it to her. She's munching on it when he runs his hand down her spine, causing her to look at him._

 _"I love you, Blue," he whispers._

 _Her head snaps to the right, and she sniffs him before nudging him and giving off a soft shriek._

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

—Present—

I curl up under my rock to hide from the mrahs. As long as they can't see me, I feel alone, and in such a confined territory, every moment by myself is worth something.

I exhale slowly. Echo returned three suns ago, and at this point, I don't think Alpha ever will. Fleshlings are not as tough as we are. Their skin shreds easily, as proven by the two other ones we've caught foolishly entering the territory.

Since Echo's return, she has apologized a thousand times. She'll probably growl a thousand more at least. Despite snarling at her to leave me alone earlier, I know it's not her fault. She was fearful. She was protecting her skin. I understand that.

The hurt comes from the fact we are without Alpha. I can tell them where to go or what to do, but he's not there for me. I suppose I shouldn't feel this way because he's been absent for a while. But he was never dead.

The sun is getting low. I know they'll want us in our caves shortly. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to a standing position. The scent of Alpha's stick meat reaches my nose, and my brow rises.

I sprint to the bushes by the main jaws. I know it's foolish, but I can't stop any part of me. I keep hoping that he'll be back. Echo made it, injured jaw and all, so why couldn't he?

I peer through the bushes and watch the jaws. The sun is directly behind them, and I have to squint. There's a shadow at the jaws, but I can't make it out. I wonder if it's Kind Hand. He normally comes and growls to Delta. However, it doesn't smell like him. I vaguely remember the scent. It causes me to think of the hurt, cold, and bright lights. I snarl softly. I don't like it.

The smell of the stick meat, though, makes me curious enough to see who brought it. I wonder if this is the same person that gives me meat during the moon. Walking to the jaws, my head drops with a hiss in hopes that I can get the sun out of my eyes.

It doesn't work, and I don't know whether to back away or see who it is. After a breath, I continue toward the jaws.

It takes until I'm right next to them for me to see who holds the stick meat. At that point, I don't care about the food anymore, not that I'm sure I ever did. I place my claws between the teeth and rest my head against it as I bark softly.

"Alpha…"

* * *

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	9. Lethal Industry

_Due to an attraction malfunction, this one was delayed. Sorry for the inconvenience._

 _Should you wish to see another ride about baby raptors while waiting for updates, please see **Misadventures of a Raptor Trainer** , for further details._

 **Welcome...to the Threat**

 _Chapter 8_

 **Lethal Industry**

* * *

His ribs hurt so bad, he can hardly breathe, and they're burning like a five alarm fire. But nothing— _absolutely nothing_ —will keep him from seeing his not-so-little-anymore girl. He vaguely remembers her confrontation against vicious Echo, and he assumes it was difficult, since the latter is such a formidable opponent.

Blue's long, black claws wrap around the bars, and her head leans gently against the cold gate. Owen can see the fading scars, white waves against beautiful blue-grey skin. The ridges and bumps of her sleek hide are glossy, greatly contrasting the obvious matte-finished wounds.

Owen's dying to reach out and touch her, to run a hand across her smooth, tough skin. She's risked life and limb to save him. He'd be dead without her. He wonders if she can sense how eternally grateful he is, and if she can, does she understand?

"Owen," Barry says from behind. "We must get you back before they realize you're gone."

He slowly hobbles a few limping steps forward on the stiff, uncomfortable crutches Barry helped him procure—or in other words, borrowed without asking. He isn't ready to leave. After narrowly missing death, he has no reason to sit in that hospital room. That is for the sick, and he's thankfully alive due to his girl.

Holding a piece of jerky to her snout, he waits for her to take it. Shockingly, she continues to watch him. Her beautiful yellow eyes are settled on him. Her nose flares. A soft bark leaves her lips, but she makes no move to take the meat.

Owen's suddenly trying to remember why she's considered lethal. He understands Delta because he's heard he's lost a few employees lately at her expense, and his throbbing, war-torn body has played witness to Echo's wrath.

But Blue's always been different.

She's bit him and scarred him on several occasions but only because she's been excited while playing. When she was close to full age, she never posed a threat to him—unlike Delta who seems to merely tolerate him because Blue demands it. When he was attacked several weeks back, Delta did nothing, which leaves him unsure of her loyalty.

Blue, though…he's nearly positive Blue has his back.

So how does she pose a threat again?

She's an apex predator who could easily overpower him and that makes her dangerous. She was bred to hunt. She was bred to kill.

But he's never been attacked by her.

He's dying to touch her, but he knows he can't. He wants to caress her head and run his hand down her spine like old times, but he's been told so many times she'll likely kill him. Despite the fact she saved him, Wu insists she's a lethal killer.

A lethal killer who is supposed to listen to a handler and complete Black Ops missions.

How is that supposed to work, again?

"Is this a smart idea?" asks Ben, the second of the two to break him out of the hospital.

Owen ignores the question. Sure, his body is throbbing, and he can feel his stomach clench, but he refuses to move. He doesn't care if he's swallowing back bile and that his muscles are screaming with exertion. All that matter is he gets to see his Blue.

Owen presses the jerky stick to her snout again, but she continues to refuse. Instead, those bright, yellow eyes of hers observe him as they have since the day she was born. She doesn't seem lethal. She seems so docile, even worried.

"What if Wu's wrong?" Owen questions in a raspy voice. It hurts to talk, hurts to do a lot of things…except this. He could sit with Blue forever, and he suddenly stops caring about everything he's been warned against. "What if she wants the attention she once had?"

"That is a foolish thing to say," Barry objects. "You walked in there and almost died."

"Echo was a bit hostile that day," Owen retorts. "Blue put her in her place."

Barry lets out a sigh. "This is not something we should attempt when you are just waking up from a coma."

Owen has to agree to that. He's been awake less than a day, and the first thing he needed to do was see Blue. He needed to make sure she was all right.

"We need to go," Ben says. "You need to rest again."

He's apparently been resting for nearly four weeks. Owen doesn't need more downtime. While he can feel every muscle in his body giving out, and knows he's been stupid for pushing his body to do things it shouldn't right now, he cannot continue to leave Blue alone.

His legs, however, don't seem to care what the rest of him feels like. Before he knows it, his crutches are crashing against the bars, sending Blue back with a snarl. Owen hits his knees and feels his body cry out in shock. His hands grip the mulch as his entire body screams in agony.

"Owen?" Barry questions and suddenly, he's next to him.

Trembles flood his bones, and Owen thinks he shouldn't have risked the trip. He is so thoughtless when it comes to Blue. He needs to make smarter choices. When he looks up, however, he decides the trip is worth it.

Blue's lowered herself to the ground and is attempting to shove her snout through the bars as she sniffs. Her yellow eyes are large and never leave him while her brow appears to be furrowed. A low, soft growl similar to a purr, resonates from her throat before turning into an odd kind of whine.

Why is she considered lethal, again?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

I find it strange the edges of my vision are white and blurry. But the Hatchling Territory is before my eyes, and I'm fleeing from Delta. I find myself falling flat on my snout, and hear her chortling behind me. Shifting, I look up at her, my lips pulling back to reveal my teeth in a grin.

By the time I'm on my talons again, I smell Alpha. I sprint for the closed cave and skid to a stop in front of it. My tail swishes as I look up, waiting for it to open. When nothing happens, I scratch at the door and hiss softly. Glancing to the clear rock to the right, I don't see him behind it.

"Blue," Delta questions. "What are you doing?"

Snorting, my head turns to the side, and I ignore her. My brow scrunches. It doesn't make sense. I smell Alpha. Where is he?

I sniff.

And sniff again.

My nose twitches as I turn from the door. The scent is slightly stronger. My nose is high in the air, and I begin to follow the smell. With each step I take, my head bobs slightly back and forth. There's a certain point I stop and sniff the ground.

I know he's been here, so…where is he?

"Alpha?" I bark and spin around while my nose continues to twitch.

"You think he's here?" Delta asks as she trots up next to me.

"Don't you smell him?"

She gives a nod then looks toward the door. She's probably hoping for Kind Hand to join.

Continuing my trek, I follow the smell, and it begins to surround me. With as strong as it is, he has to be close. Why am I not touching him?

There's a loud snarl as something comes out from behind a tree. I shriek and slash. Alpha is suddenly before me, chortling, while his arms start to bleed. I lower my body toward the ground. Is he mad?

My eyes look at him and notice his face is not angry. His teeth are showing, not from dominance, but from joy. I take a step toward him when the world suddenly blacks out.

When my eyes actually open, I can't figure out where I am. Wasn't I just with Alpha? Weren't we just together? He pounced at me like Charlie does.

I rise from my spot and walk the walls of my cave. I've been seeing these images every time I try to sleep. I don't know what they mean. I don't know what they are. They're memories I've already lived through, but it's like I'm going through them again.

I don't understand.

But I want Alpha to be with me again. Just like when I was younger.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen hates that he needs a cane to walk. He's told it won't be that long, but needing the stick makes him feel vulnerable. It makes him seem weak. He's stronger than that.

The truth is, he can't walk without the cane, and part of him wants the crutches back.

So, he does his best to square his shoulders as he walks into the the viewing room in the Raptor Paddock extension. His team is there and he realizes what Barry meant when the man said it had dwindled significantly. There are twenty-two employees left, and one of the victims was thorn-in-side Hank. Owen can't say he's too upset, and he was definitely glad he was out during the memorial service. That would have been difficult to sit through.

Hobbling further into the room, Owen sees several employees gathered at the window, one of which is Ben who has been the voice of reason many times. He's standing next to that Doe girl Owen once lashed out at.

When Ben sees him, he takes a breath and approaches. "How are you doing, sir?"

"Not too shabby," he responds, but his head is starting to pound. "You can call me Owen."

The man gives a nod. "Certainly."

Owen uses his chin to gesture toward the crowd. "What's going on?"

"They've moved the raptors into that pen. The first visitors are on their way to see them."

He wets his lips. There's a part of Owen that can't believe they're still allowing this to happen. After what happened to him and with the death of the eight other employees, it seems asinine to open this attraction.

"This is not ideal," a new voice says, "but Ms. Dearing insists on it."

Owen turns to see Barry approach. The man's brow is drawn low, and he crosses his arms when he gets close enough.

"This is not good, Owen. The girls are still not over the incident. They sleep all day. They've been less responsive and seemingly more aggressive," Barry informs him.

"They haven't been more aggressive," Ben objects. "They seem to have better ambush techniques. And our people have been less observant."

Owen's mind is a blur. He can't figure out what's the best move. The girls seem to be out of hand, but if it's human stupidity, how can they be blamed for acting on instinct? Perhaps he should take some time off. After all, he's still taking pain killers and having trouble moving. At the moment, he's ready to fall over and sleep.

"Mr. Grady!"

Owen grits his teeth at the feminine voice. He doesn't even have to turn to know it's Ms. Dearing.

"Mr. Grady," she repeats again as she approaches the group. "We need to talk."

Ben takes the cue and leaves while Barry moves beside him. Owen wonders if the man can sense he's ready to fall over any second.

"What is it?" he questions and shifts his weight.

Ms. Dearing looks around before opening a file folder she brought with her. In it, Owen sees darkened pictures showing the outside of the raptor den. There's a figure at Blue's cage. His heart begins to speed up. He does everything he can to keep his breathing steady.

"Who is that?" he asks. There are several pictures, but all of them are grainy and the figure is wearing a hoodie.

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us," Dearing replies. "They always seem to know when security is lax. We have a guard rotation on this paddock, and they've all fallen victim."

Owen manages a nod, and Barry moves to the group. No doubt the man will interrogate them all. Whether he'll have luck is another story.

Dearing stands there for several long moments before closing her folder. "I assume you'll look into this."

"Yes," he says and suddenly needs to sit down somewhere.

The woman stands for several more moments and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry about the incident, Mr. Grady."

"Owen," he corrects as his brow rises. He's a bit confused as to why Dearing is apologizing. It doesn't make any sense. She's never apologized for her actions. It is a bit humorous that she refers to it as the "incident".

"Owen," she says softly. She glances over to the employees before clearing her throat and looks back at him. "I didn't realize what these assets might do."

His brow rises. "Assets? These aren't just numbers on a spread sheet."

She closes her eyes and shakes her head. "I am trying to say I'm sorry you walked into that paddock and were injured."

He doesn't know whether to accept the apology or not. She's referred to his girls as assets. She's saying she's apologizing, but she's really not. However, at some point, he needs to cut his losses. "Look, it's all right. I'm alive, and that's all that matters."

She lets out a heavy breath and gives a nod. "Well, let's hope they perform well for the visitors today."

With that, Ms. Dearing turns and exits the room.

Owen doesn't mean to yawn, but he does anyhow. He's tired, hurting, and wondering about those pictures. Where did they come from? Which staff member is approaching the raptor cages at night?

Barry returns, just as he's settled onto a bench. The man sits next to him and keeps his voice low.

"They are all accounted for." Barry shifts and casts a glance at the group. "The older crew mostly hang out in the employee lounge shooting pool and drinking. The only three survivors from the newest group, Tanner, Ben, and Doe, all travel to the mainland and frequent one of the bars."

"This is a fact?" questions Owen.

Barry nods. "Tanner has been seen wandering back to his apartment in the late hours, extremely drunk. Ben would seem like a suspect, except he's often with some of the control room workers when he gets back. And Doe goes home with a different man every night."

"Someone is hanging around the girls," Owen responds, and he looks over the group. "Who's lying?"

* * *

 _The curator would like to take a moment to say thank you for your patronage. She's been busy with working and completing college work, so updating is not always as quick as she would like. Thank you or the follows, favs, and reviews. Those keep her motivated and able to pump out more chapters._

 _Thank you, tourist. Thank you._

 _Hope you are enjoying the park._


	10. I'll Be

_Today is nation S'Mores day. Please stop by Deino-Diner for a free, after dinner, all you can eat treat. All you need to say is "I want s'more!"_

 **Welcome...to Charlie**

 _Chapter 9_

 **I'll Be**

* * *

Delta's claw is tapping against the ground as she looks out of the bush. Her breathing is quick, and her ribs are visible with each release of air. Her gaze is darting to each fleshling behind the shiny, clear rock. "I don't like this."

I'm seated on my haunches next to her. Through the rock, they are growling loudly, and they smell delicious. However, they are protected by lightening sticks. I'm just as frightened as Delta by this, but I can't afford to show it. She needs me. "We'll be fine."

She stomps her feet. "There are too many of them. We can't fight them all."

Rising, I tilt my head as I look at her. "Are you afraid they're retaliating for all the fleshlings you've killed?"

The black lines in her eyes are slits providing all the confirmation needed. "What if I've gotten us all killed?"

Sighing, I shake my head. "Why do you kill them?"

"We keep receiving less and less meat. Haven't you noticed?"

I freeze. The truth is, I haven't. I always receive another piece of meat in the middle of the night. I assumed my sisters had as well. I swallow roughly. "No, I haven't. I'm still…recovering."

It isn't entirely a lie. Certain places on my body do still hurt, and I can't sleep. In the night all I see are things that have already happened. I don't understand. In addition, I'm worried about Alpha. It's foolish, but I am. He limps on three legs instead of walking on two.

Delta turns from me before shaking her head and disappearing into another section of the bush. I wonder if she knows I'm not telling the truth. She doesn't seem to sense feelings as well as I do, but maybe she's gotten better at it.

With a sigh, I peer out of the bush. Echo slams into the shiny, clear rock. She's been at it for a while now. The fleshlings behind the barrier point and bare their teeth. It's hard to tell whether they're asserting their dominance or not.

My chest tightens as she hits the rock again. Echo's been trying to get along with us, but she's confused about so many things. I don't blame her. Delta never attacked me in the Hatchling Territory, but if she had, would I have turned out like Echo?

A yawn leaves my lips as my body tells me I need sleep. How can I rest when all I see is what's past? How can I sleep when Delta is worried about an attack? Does it matter anymore?

Moving deeper into the bushes, I find a secluded spot, circle twice, and lay down. I tuck my tail under my chin as my eyes close. If this is where the fleshlings want us and we end up dying for Delta's deaths, I am in no position to fight it. Fleshings always seem to win anyway.

Besides, Alpha is never going to enter my territory again. He will never run his soft flesh over my skin. His days of growling to me are done. I am alone in here.

My eyes fly open. There's nudging at my stomach. With a raise brow, I notice Charlie has settled next to me. Her head is on my stomach, and she's trying to press into me. I can feel her body shudder, feel her sadness.

My tail moves which sends her leaping to her talons with a squawk. Panic floods those amber eyes of hers, the black circle shrinks. Looking down, she notices my tail has moved back to reveal my stomach. Charlie blinks and takes several breaths before nestling again, head on my stomach, body curled toward my snout. Trembles shake through her like leaves in the wind. I place my tail over her.

Charlie is still slightly smaller than I, and as she lays there it's obvious she's significantly thinner. Her ribs are protruding through her skin. Just like Delta's… It's something I've been blind to. I haven't been the same since the attack.

No wonder Delta kills the foolish humans.

Charlie's head pops up, and she bites her tongue before looking at me.

"Is Alpha…pack?" she questions softly. "Or is he family?"

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen sits on a bench in the back of the Viewing Paddock. He's staring at his girls as they struggle to deal with this new area. Echo keeps slamming herself into the window, screaming for him to let her out, while the other three hide in the brush. No, wait. Raptors don't speak English. And she isn't screeching.

The glass is reinforced, but all it takes is one flaw and Echo will burst through. All of these tourists would be in peril—screams, shouts, blood. It's not something he wants to happen, but as his chin reaches his chest, it's all he can see. Blood is everywhere. His girls are having a heyday and feasting until they're bursting at the seams.

Leaning back, Owen clutches the cane across his lap. At the moment, he's attempting to assess any possible situations that might arise like the one he imagines. Despite only being thirty-four, his body is exhausted, and seemingly unable to mend.

But this is for his girls. He needs to be here, so he fights through the pain with medication.

If people begin to tap on the glass, he's automatically snapping at them to stop. If they take pictures, he threatens to confiscate the cameras. His girls are already under enough stress as it is. They don't need to be even more terrified.

Glancing up, Owen spots Ben and Doe in a far corner. He didn't think both of them were on tourist duty. Maybe it's the half a Vicodin he took earlier, but he could swear the schedule didn't show them in the same place—although the schedule probably didn't have a giant red dog named Clifford on it, either.

Suspicions arise when Tanner approaches a few minutes later and the group huddles closer. Whatever the topic is, it seems serious by their lowered brows and darting glances.

Placing the cane end on the floor, Owen takes a deep breath before pushing himself to his feet. He painstakingly makes his way toward the three new survivors. It's already slow going, but luckily the place is so packed he's able to get close without them noticing.

"Why do you think someone's been feeding the raptors?" Owen hears Tanner say.

"I have a few friends in control," Ben replies. "They've seen it on the CCTV."

"And they suspect us?" Doe asks.

"Yes," Ben replies. With a glance across the crowd, he starts leading them toward an employee door in the back. "I suppose it's because this never happened prior to our arrival, thus, it's us they're looking into."

"Is it such a big deal that the raptors are fed?" questions Tanner with a sigh. "Honestly, we're dropping off like flies here. They clearly need more food."

"Should we suspect you, Tanner?" Doe asks, voice thick with accusation.

Tanner hisses and opens the door. "Don't you think I have better things to do at night?"

Doe rolls her eyes as she enters. The two men follow.

Owen waits several moments before he opens the door and limps into the darkened hallway. The door snaps shut behind him, and he listens for the voices that echo through the tunnel.

"—at's it to you?" Tanner's voice sounds.

"Oh, nothing," Doe responds with a sharp edge. "I was just wondering what gets in the way of you getting wasted."

Owen begins limping down the corridor. He peeks around an outcrop and sees the three of them standing underneath a red emergency light.

"Well, you have the title of slut," Tanner responds. "How many has that been now? You're up to forty-five?"

"Guys!" Ben interrupts. "We have to have each other's backs. We can't keep arguing. I think they want us to turn on each other."

"Look," Tanner says to Ben. "You and I, we don't have an excuse other than drinking. We're in trouble. That whore has a list, though."

Doe huffs. "Grow up and get over the fact I won't sleep with you."

"I don't understand why; you're legs are wide open for everyone else," Tanner snaps with a pointed look. "I wonder if you'd have an alibi, though, when they come to question us. I doubt any guy will remember your chubby face or fat thighs. Perhaps if you spread and they take a look at your—"

"You're fired," Owen says, cutting Tanner off. He hobbles toward them and looks at the man. "Pack your shit and get out."

"But, sir—"

"No _but, sir_. Get the fuck out."

"But she—"

"I don't care if she kicked you in the nuts; you do _not_ talk about a woman in that manner. If you weren't my employee I'd have kicked your ass by now," Owen says and it's a lie. If he wasn't forced to limp around in pain, he'd have broken the man's jaw. If there's one thing he can't stand, it's when a man degrades a woman like that.

Owen takes a breath and looks at Ben. "Please see Tanner out."

Ben's eyes widen and he looks to Doe. She provides no comment. Ben swallows roughly and nods to Tanner. When the man begins walking, Ben follows.

Owen can feel his knees trembling. He's certain there's sweat dripping down his face, but nothing matters at the moment. He's feeling as if the world is crashing around him as it turns to hues of grey. There's a buzzing in his ears as if a million honey bees are swarming him.

Suddenly, water is before him, and the world is colorful and quiet again. He's seated on the ground, leaning against the wall. His body doesn't hurt at the moment, and he's grateful.

A person in front of him catches his eye. Owen's eyes slide up to see Doe in front of him. He's surprised, because apart from muscular calves, which are hidden behind working boots, he doesn't understand the fat thigh comment Tanner made. Doe isn't a stick skinny girl, and she's got a little weight, but he considers that in the curvy range.

The fact she starts morphing into a giant blue tree monitor is an entirely different story.

"I won't tell anyone you passed out," the monitor's voice hisses softly, holding out the water bottle to him.

Owen accepts the water and looks up at her. He has to squint in order to realize Doe is a person and not a blue tree monitor. "It's all right. I'm alive"

Her brow quirks. "That line might work on Ms. Dearing, but any normal person can see you should be at home resting."

"My girls need me," Owen objects, but his body refuses to move. Instead he slides to the ground. The cement is cool against his flushed face.

Doe sits next to him. "You were attacked by a raptor, placed into a coma for a month, and haven't given yourself time to recover. Please explain to me how you are of any use to your _girls_ in this _condition_?"

His gaze settles on her. She's right, and that sucks, but is she also talking about the pill he took? He knows he probably shouldn't have come into work having done that, but it's the only way he can make it through. He shakes his head. She wouldn't know that. Besides, he needs to recover and is really starting to imagine things.

Owen also realizes he doesn't know his staff very well. Maybe he should rectify that. Ben and Doe seem like very capable people.

Swallowing roughly, he rolls onto his side. "I might not seem like the best boss—"

"If you're going to try and make up for that now, please don't."

He barely manages a half smile as she calls him out. She begins to shift into the black and blue beast and he begins to speculate that maybe he's not just affected by the Vicodin. "Look, he shouldn't have spoken to you like that, plain and simple. If I was around—"

Doe holds up a claw and her gaze narrows. "Hold on. First, I'm thirty and if I can't deal with what some twenty-four-year-old says, then I probably need some amount of therapy. Besides, I called him out on his alcohol problem so he was defending himself. Second, are you trying to make this about you? I'm the one who gets called names, and you're whining about how you're never around?"

Heat floods his cheeks. "Yeah…I didn't mean—"

There's a sharp ping, and the monitor pulls her phone from her...flesh? She props herself onto her haunches and reaches out for him. "Come on. You need to leave. Ben says Ms. Dearing has arrived. I'm certain you don't want her to see you like this."

"Can monitors walk on two feet?" he whispers with a raised brow.

A claw touches his face. "We need to get you home?"

"Okay," he whispers with a nod. Owen reaches out and takes her hand. She pulls him to his feet, and he uses her as a crutch. He knows it's awkward, since the monitor is doing all the work, but his brain is so fuzzy now, he can't right himself, nor does he care to.

"I'm sorry…" he mutters, and he has a lot to be sorry for. Deaths, comments, mistakes… "I don't know what I'm doing…"

Doe stops and looks at him. Her eyes seem to come to a conclusion. "When people are under stress—duress—they are not themselves. Everyone knows you're concerned about your girls' well-being. So, go home, take an entire Vicodin, and sleep until you feel better. Don't come back while you're still this wasted. Recovery is never instantaneous. Look at Blue and Echo, they're modified to heal faster and they're still struggling. You're only human."

The monitor known as Doe sounds so logical, so sane. She reminds him of Ben. Clearly they're close and probably like-minded. Maybe that's why Ben and Doe hang around each other.

 _Does Ben know she's a giant lizard?_ he wonders.

There's a nagging pit in his stomach. He doesn't know what it's from, but due to his inability to even walk right now, Owen bets that sleep will help it go away.

Suddenly, before his eyes, Barry appears. The man rushes to his side and grabs him.

"Come, Owen," he says. "Let's get you home."

Owen would like that. The dark fog is settling around him again.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Breath lodges in my throat, and sends my stomach into knots, which causes the animal in there to roar. I'm not sure if it's from a more intense pain or something completely different. I can't find growls, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to roar ever again.

Because it hurts. My body. My chest.

With the way my throat has constricted, it's as if Echo has wrapped her jaws around it and squeezes until I stop living.

The territory suddenly seems too small. It's caving in. There is no escape.

Charlie stands and prods me with her snout. Each poke sends pain through my veins. I don't know what to do. I just want it to stop.

The leaves shake around me. Suddenly, Delta and Echo are looking down. The latter of the two has tucked her tail between her legs and crouches to the ground. Her eyes are wide, and her nose is flaring.

Delta, on the other claw, stares at me. Her brow is drawn together, while panic floods her eyes. She knows nothing of what I've been thinking lately. I don't growl about it. The fact Alpha abandoned me is not something they need to know. They need to understand we follow him anyway.

All eyes are on me. They expect me to answer.

But I can't. I can't. I can't!

They follow my lead, and I expect them to obey Alpha. That is the law. The alpha is the lead. I don't know how I know this, but it seems to have been instilled in me since birth—much like communicating and hunting. These things were once reinforced by Alpha as he often growled to me and taught me how to ambush prey.

Those days are long gone, but still appear every time I try to sleep, I can't rest. I'm forced to remember, and nothing makes it better. He's left me since we arrived in this new territory. No amount of meat sticks through cold jaws will help that. His rhythmic growls seem so harsh, while he is so far away.

I need to make this stop. I need this to go away. During my life, I've always known physical beings. The flying meat, the fleshlings, my sisters—they are all things I can touch. What is attacking me from within, I can't stop. I can't get to. It seems to be ripping apart my flesh while my skin stays intact.

"I know what pain feels like," Charlie's soft voice breaks through the silence.

A hiss manages to break through the jaws around my throat. Charlie hasn't seen eight full moons, yet she believes she knows pain. She cannot understand. She doesn't know what it's like to have your Alpha abandon you. She doesn't know what it's like to lose the person you care most about.

Her talons scratch the dirt and she takes a deep breath. "I had a sister… Her name was Fox. She was strong and brave and wise. Everything…everything I'm not."

Echo settles onto her haunches. She seems stiff like a rock. Delta's mouth opens slightly, her tongue can be seen through her parted teeth. They're both curious, as am I. Charlie never talks about her Hatchling Territory days.

"Fox was able to pick up on what Alpha taught us, but I always struggled. I didn't understand things the way she did, and she told me so," Charlie growls. It seems as if she has a lump in her throat as she tries to swallow. "She told me that I would never be what Alpha wanted and she would protect me. She promised to always be there for me, because I was not what I was meant to be."

Rising from the ground, I settle onto my haunches.

"One day Fox asks me what we are. I didn't understand her at the time. I wasn't sure what she was asking. We were alive." Charlie shakes her head, a soft whimper escapes her throat. "She meant we're not fleshlings, we're not flying meat, we're not white fuzzy meat. So, what are we? What is our purpose? Where do we fit?" Her arms gently rise as it's apparent she still doesn't know. "I couldn't answer her, and Alpha provided no comfort.

"She was sad and confused after that. She changed. When Alpha came in, Fox no longer cared what he wanted. She curled up in a corner and wouldn't respond."

Charlie's tail curls around her. "One day, I found her sleeping…except when I called to her, she didn't answer. When I touched her, she was cold."

Her breaths come in short pants. She has trouble swallowing again. "Fox, she gave up, because she didn't know where she fit in. She…she gave up, because I wasn't enough. I wasn't worth it."

Silence answers Charlie's story, and she's trying not to gasp for breath. She doesn't whimper or cry. Instead trembles from the top of her head to the tip of her tail rattle her body. Her bright green markings fade to grey.

Delta doesn't move, possibly because she's too overwhelmed. Her eyes are large and round. Her skin darkens. I can feel the panic coming from her.

It's Echo who moves and settles next to me. Her gaze darts between us before her eyes settle on me. Her voice is tough to hear. "What are we?"

All attention shifts to me, and I can't help that my talon starts tapping against the dirt. Swallowing roughly, I'm not sure how to answer. It's apparent by the way Echo questioned that she's asked herself this before.

I look at Delta who's normally so wise and understands things better than the rest of us. She's the one who knows what Kind Hand and Alpha growl to us. She's the one who gives advice. And if she was more aggressive, it would be she who was the beta, not I.

However, my hatch mate seems to be looking at me for answers. She makes it clear by her lack of growl that she isn't sure either.

A slow breath leaves my nose. I can sit here until they call us for meat and sleep wondering all these things, not growling anything, but they'll still be staring at me, waiting for an answer: an answer I don't have.

My gaze passes over all of them. I think of everything we've been through. Everything I've heard. Everything I've ever dealt with. The question still remains: what are we?

Suddenly, like the shutting of our cave, I'm struck with what we are. The answer seems so simple. It's always been there, staring me in the eyes like Alpha. It was something I once attributed to just Alpha and me. As I grew, though, Delta became included.

I've been selfish and blinded about it, because I wasn't willing to see that Echo and Charlie are part of it, too. And even though Alpha seems like he's so far away, he's right there with us, leading us. Maybe that's the way alphas are supposed to be.

Standing straight, I look at Charlie. Her gaze meets mine. "We are a pack. And that means we're family. _All_ of us." I look at Echo before turning back to Charlie. "Even Alpha."

* * *

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	11. The Dead Don't Starve

_PLEASE DO NOT FEED._

 _Dinosaurs have special diets, properly balanced for nutritional needs. Please—for their health and your safety—do no feed them anything._

 _Thank you._

 _Por favor no le de comida a los animales._

 _Gracias_

 _S'il vous plaît ne pas nourrir les animaux._

 _Merci_

 ** _Welcome...to the Awakening_**

 _Chapter 10_

 **The Dead Don't Starve**

* * *

Owen isn't sure how long he sleeps, but he's thankful when the haze lifts. During the darkness and pain, it was Barry who was making sure he was still alive, making sure he didn't die. He can't remember if anyone came to bother him, and he's glad. His body was so exhausted. Perhaps he was slightly stupid for trying to push himself past the pain.

Pushing himself to the edge of his bed, he sits up and looks out the window. It's bright and airy, just like how he feels inside. Except for the fact he is still lacking his Blue.

Why did InGen have to insist she was lethal? Why are they convincing everyone the raptors are deadly? _Well_ , Owen reasons, _they have killed people._

Except inside, Owen knows better. He knows his Blue protects him and always will.

Rising from the bed, he's surprised to find that despite his stiff legs, he's able to walk without a cane. It's a wonderful feeling and just adds to the fact he feels like himself for the first time since... Well, a long time.

When he reaches the kitchen, Owen's overwhelmed by the scent of lemon. His gaze drops to the linoleum floor which holds a slight sheen. From there, it rises to the counters which he can nearly see his reflection in. Moving toward the oven, a gasp leaves his lips. The stove—specifically the right front burner which is normally caked with mac and cheese—is so clean guests can eat off of it.

"What in the world?" he whispers. Opening the fridge door, he notices not only is that clean as well, but sees Tupperware stacked on top of each other. Pulling one from the top shelf, there is Rigatoni inside. Pursing his lips to the side, he snaps the sides and pulls off the lid. It smells delicious.

Owen doesn't even question it. He puts it in the sparkling microwave and sets the timer. With a growling stomach, it could be poisoned and he wouldn't care.

The growling reminds him of his girls. They're probably wondering where he is. Most likely, they think he's abandoned them. Owen suddenly feels so very disconnected from life. He might as well have been on Mars for the past sixteen years.

Last he remembers, they weren't getting fed. And the one person who was feeding them, he presumably fired for being an asshole.

Things are not good.

The microwave dings as there's a knock at the door.

"Come in," Owen responds as he pulls the food from the microwave. He lets it clatter to the counter as steam rises. Flexing his fingers, he probably should have realized it would be hot. Grabbing a fork, he glances to the door as Ms. Dearing shuts it.

Today she's dressed in another God-awful skirt suit—taupe-colored this time. In her hands, she death-grips a vanilla file folder. He wonders if it contains his walking papers. He's sure been out of commission for a while. Maybe they consider him a liability.

"Good morning, Owen," she greets. Her eyes widen as she looks around. She stiffens and leans back slightly.

He's learned a few things over the years and can see she's aghast at the house—he's aghast, but for completely opposite reasons, including the fact the mac and cheese stain has been buffed out. Owen wonders if Dearing would have even entered had this place not been clean, because as he looks around, it's not just the kitchen, but his entire bungalow.

Did Barry clean while he slept?

Taking his Tupperware to the small table, he sits and issues to the chair across from him. "Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," Dearing responds as she approaches and pulls out the chair. She looks down at it and swallows roughly. Owen is certain if she had Clorox wipes with her, she'd wipe the seat down. He's now convinced that if the bungalow hadn't been cleaned, she wouldn't have entered.

Clearing her throat, Dearing sits all prim and proper like a poodle. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, I'm alive," Owen answers and takes a bite of macaroni. He's never tasted a flavor explosion quite like what's happening in his mouth. His chewing slows so he can savor it.

"That's good to hear. I understand that you've recently started moving around your…" With a scrunched nose, Dearing casts a glance around his bungalow. "…house again."

With a mouth full of Rigatoni, he nods.

"Good. I was wondering if we could discuss the stranger at the Raptor Paddock."

Owen swallows. "Have they returned?"

"It's been hard to tell. The feeds have been offline. They're attempting to upgrade apparently," she admits and clears her throat as she folds her hands on the table over the file folder she places there. "I was hoping to hear that you are well enough to return?"

"I would think so." Owen takes another bite, and he leans his head to the right. "Something has to be done about the raptors not being fed. I understand that you may not always condone what my girls do, but not feeding them isn't helping the situation."

"Excuse me?"

"Not feeding them is causing more deaths."

Dearing's brow scrunches. "They're not being fed?"

"Am I not speaking English?" he questions. "That's what I said."

"I…" She looks at the file folder and opens it. "Perhaps that's why this stranger is feeding them."

With a glance to the folder, relief spreads through his muscles as he realizes it contains images of the intruder, and not a pink slip. He looks at her. "You didn't know they weren't being fed?"

Dearing shakes her head. "No."

Owen takes another bite of macaroni. He can't believe she would lie to his face. "I'm supposed to believe that? You knew what Gopher was doing to Echo. You didn't stop it."

"Gopher?"

"That psychotic, feathered menace!" he snaps. "Don't tell me you didn't know about her! Or how Echo was trapped in there with her!"

"I'm not some animal specialist," she retorts. "I thought that was _your_ job. Besides, aren't these things supposed to fight for dominance?"

"Fight, yes. Kill like that? No."

Dearing raises her hands. "Why didn't _you_ stop it? You're in charge."

The shock he feels is clearly written across his face in the way his brow furrows and mouth opens. "Did you just start yesterday? I have _no_ say. You're the operations director. Any changes to the raptors have to go through you. You could have gone to Masrani, and he could have said Gopher was too dangerous."

She doesn't respond, because in all honesty, he's right. He may train them, but he has no say in what goes on. His hands are constantly tied behind his back. InGen has told him as much time and time again, especially when it came to Blue. If something needs to be changed, only Masrani—and by extension Dearing—or InGen themselves can approve it.

"I didn't know that," she says softly. "I had no clue you couldn't… So, how do we fix this?"

"You can't," he responds, and feels his shoulder slouch because he knows it's far too late to make amends. "There are some things you can't fix. Echo has learned to do whatever she needs to in order to survive. She'll even go against the alpha and beta in order to ensure self-preservation. She's already shown it."

"If we keep the asset fed, then it'll be fine."

"No. You don't understand," Owen explains. "You can keep her content and happy, but there will always be a chance she attacks. The mistakes that were made with her have turned her into another beast entirely. She may be loyal to the pack after her spat with Blue, but that bond will never be what it needs to be. In the back of her mind she will always be wondering about her own survival."

Dearing takes a deep breath. "I'll tell Masrani she needs to be put down."

A gasp leaves his lips. The idea of putting Echo down is like putting an elderly person down because they aren't as quick anymore. "Why would we kill her for our mistakes?"

"You're telling me she could attack at any moment—"

"I'm not going to kill her because we messed up. It's just like Charlie never being as strong-willed or as vicious as Blue because Foxtrot died. She shouldn't be killed for it. These aren't machines, Dearing. They aren't just assets; they're living, breathing creatures. They are effected by what we do. At what point is InGen going to realize this?"

Dearing doesn't respond. She merely gazes at the file folder without really even looking at it.

"If I had been allowed to raise them the way I did Blue, maybe they wouldn't be so fucked up," he says.

"As a hatchling?" she questions and looks at him. "I heard your philosophy when it came to her."

"What philosophy is that?"

"That she needed to be treated like a human baby."

"Is that what InGen told you?" Owen scoffs and rolls his eyes. "No, that's not what happened. I was hired to _train_ them. InGen forced me to raise Blue like a human. I couldn't leave her side. I need to feed her constantly, hold her even.

"Then, after setting this ideal, they rip the carpet out from under both of us. I can't touch her; I can barely see her. There are so many limitations on me because they _claim_ she's lethal and will kill me. The incident with Echo proved otherwise."

"So, that just means she sees you as alpha, right?" Dearing argues. "They felt you were too close. They're trying to spare you."

"Did you know Blue used to be able to laugh? Did you know she was extremely vocal? Or the fact she picked up on actions I did and started repeating them?" he challenges. "She used to babble to me all the time. She could open doors, flip the footrest up, and hop in the chair. She used to laugh when something funny happened.

"That's what my girl could do. And they stopped that, because it wasn't what they wanted. They want her to be a killer, but that's _not_ what they created."

"And what did they create, Owen?"

"A living creature who is known to be vicious but fiercely loyal as well. A being that is capable of emotion and thought, even though we might not understand it. My little girl will always be a killer, but she's also capable of love."

Dearing pauses and stiffens slightly. "Perhaps that's why they says she's depressed."

"Who?" His brow scrunches. "What?"

Blinking, she looks at him. "It's the reason you're so angry."

Owen is a lot of things, but angry is not at the top of his list. Confused, definitely—who cleaned his house and made him food? Depressed, probably—but he's so far from Blue despite being so close. Angry, though? He's frustrated with InGen, but he hasn't reached angry.

Dearing shakes her head and rises from the table. "I will see to it that the raptors receive more meat."

He looks up at her and taps his fingers against the table for a moment. "I want live cows brought in."

Her eyes widen, but she gives a nod. "Fine. I will find you a live cow. Good day—"

"No," he interrupts. "You didn't hear me correctly. I don't want _one_ live cow. I want a lot of cows. My girls need to eat. As soon as possible."

She's silent for a few moments, but nods. "I will have cows for you in a few hours."

"Thanks."

"Good day, Owen."

"Bye."

Claire exits the bungalow, and he glances down to see that the folder is still there. He's afraid to touch it in case she comes back for it, since he isn't sure if he should look at it. While he waits to see if she's really gone, he finishes the macaroni. When that's done, he puts the Tupperware in the sink and walks to the door.

Her car is nowhere to be seen.

Owen takes a breath and walks back to the table. He pulls the file folder and flips through to see the grainy pictures of the stranger. How does someone get near the paddock undetected? Who is that skilled? InGen keeps tight security.

A knock on the door startles him, and he drops the folder as Barry walks in.

"Owen!" he exclaims with a grin. "It is good to see you walking around without a cane."

"Nice not to be a gimp anymore," he replies and settles back in his seat from earlier. Pulling the file toward him, he looks up. "Thanks, Bar."

The man settles across from him and his brow quirks. "For what?"

Owen gestures across his house. "For all this. You took care of me; the food is delicious, the place is clean—except you cleaned off my mac and cheese burner. All of it has really helped."

Barry shakes his head. "That was not me. I thought InGen had been taking care of you. They did provide you with the Vicodin needed to relieve the pain."

He bites the inside of his cheek. Something about the situation seems off to him. Really off, but he can't place his finger on it.

"We have lost a lot of staff," Barry says softly. "It will be good to have you back."

"How many?"

"We're down to thirteen," he answers. When Owen's jaw drops, he quickly adds, "Only three more were killed. The others left."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Owen sighs. "Are they being fed?"

"InGen says they are. Their ribs are highly visible, so I wonder."

"And the mysterious feeder?"

"I do not believe so," Barry says. "However, if they have, they are not doing a very good job of keeping the raptors healthy."

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _—_ _Several hours earlier—_

The monster in my stomach is loud tonight. Waiting by the circles in my cave, I sniff for Meat Bringer. I know the fleshling hasn't been around in several days, but I am still hopeful they'll return. I just hope they haven't disappeared like Alpha. Besides, if I don't get something soon, I may not wake up in the morning.

Alpha has not been seen, and I fear he is never to return. I haven't even scented him since one sun in the paddock when I saw him hobbling on three legs instead of walking on two. Kind Hand has been taking the lead—which Delta is more than happy about. It causes me to worry, though.

Turning from the holes, I walk back and forth in my cave. Sleep eludes me most nights now and dozing is terrifying. I still see things that have already happened. I am unsure why I am placed in what has been. I do not understand. Much like I don't understand why Alpha had to die.

Perhaps I do know the answer to that one, though. From what I've seen, it's the way of life. The fleshlings control us, but they are often foolish, and we can catch them. When they die, new ones take over. They become the new leaders. It is a circle I am not exactly fond of.

There's a rustle at the circles and I hope that life has arrived. Without a sound as I approach. My tail wags as the scent of meat reaches my nose. Meat Bringer has returned. I will make it through tonight. I will make it through tomorrow.

The scratch at my cave leads to the red flesh. There's not a lot, but it will quiet the animal in my stomach for a little while.

* * *

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	12. Hidden Away

_Please keep all limbs inside the tram._

 _The curator would like to say a special word of thanks to the Head Keep of the ankylosaurus paddock for their help with this attraction._

 _ **Welcome...to the Hidden**_

 _Chapter 11_

 **Hidden Away**

* * *

The first cow should be around anytime now. His foot is tapping against the ground a hundred miles a minute. He's on edge about the raptors next to him. Blue's head is captured in the steel muzzle he hates, and she's growling at him like a savage beast. He can almost hear the _why_.

If Owen were to have a say, he'd get rid of the muzzles. It's a hazard just trying to get his girls' heads in the contraptions. It also makes it hard for him to maintain Blue's trust.

Walking to her, he reaches out a hand. With a snarl, her lips pull back, revealing sharp teeth. Owen's eyes widen, but he's not entirely surprised. He hasn't been around, and the first time she sees him, she's trapped—not to mention underweight.

He can't help his fists balling up. The fact someone has been starving his girls makes him angry—and by someone, he's pretty certain now it's InGen, and he doesn't understand why. Perhaps he shouldn't have fired Tanner. After all, the man was feeding Blue at least.

Taking a deep breath, Owen turns back to Blue. She struggles to break free; the fact her cheek bones are starting to protrude has his blood pressure rising again. He keeps his voice soft as he speaks to her. "Food is coming for you. I promise I'm getting you food."

Her gaze settles on him. There's a moment when the world seems to stop. For a second, he feels as if she'll follow him around, babbling at him again. Slowly, her lips cover her teeth. Blue's breathing slows, and she watches.

Reaching out a hand, his fingers trace over her skin. It's the closest he can get to her, and he'll take it. She studies him as her nose flares. After a while, she whimpers ever so softly.

"I miss you, too," he whispers. "I'm going to help you."

Barry moves into the breezeway and hands him part of a cow hide. "It is in place. All that is missing is them."

Taking the cow hide, Owen looks at Blue. "We're going to play hide and seek. And you're going to like this prize."

Her gaze slowly shifts from him to the hide he offers. With a deep breath, her maw begins to drip with saliva. Her pupils dilate as she growls. Blue whips her head in an attempt to break free. She tugs, and her growl grows louder.

"Let them out," Owen says and steps back. There's a sharp buzz like the end of a period at a hockey game.

Blue takes a step back and the others follow. Owen nods and crosses his arms. Turning, his eyes widen.

Ben is standing by the fence with Echo charging him.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The metal jaws feel like death. They're constricting and leave me defenseless. I can't see behind me. Charlie's whimpers have me growling. Why the fleshlings torture her is unknown to me. They know she's younger; they know she's not a killer. She is not a threat.

The wind shifts. A new scent rushes over me. I silence. My heart begins to race. No, it can't be.

Alpha appears. It _can't_ be, though. He hasn't been around, hasn't been here. His heart does not beat anymore.

The not-real Alpha's talon taps against the ground. Am I sleeping? Is this another happened, but is not happening?

I growl louder. I have to wake up. I don't want to stay in this place where not-real Alpha is real Alpha. Kind Hand needs to wake us from the cave and let us enter the territory.

When not-real Alpha approaches and reaches out a hand, I snarl with a show of teeth. This not really happening will not touch me. I will not wake up whining with a chest that feels as if it's going to burst.

His claws ball up and there's a sense of anger from him. While he's distracted, I try to pull my head from the metal jaws. After a moment, he breathes and looks back at me. When he growls softly, I find my muscles unwinding. If this is not happening, it will hurt me much worse than Echo ever could.

But looking at him, is not-really Alpha…Alpha? My lips cover my teeth as my breathing slows. My muscles flinch slightly as he reaches out and runs a claw over my head. I look at him and I scent. The warm of his claw and his smell are nothing I've ever felt in any of the not happenings.

"You're alive?" I whimper, and my throat catches. He growls back to me and turns when Kind Hand growls to him.

They exchange something that looks furry and Alpha approaches me. He growls again and holds out the furry.

If I take my eyes off him, will he disappear? Will I wake up in my cold cave, alone in the dark?

Swallowing roughly, I look at the furry he offers. I've barely scented it before my jaws water. A growl makes its way up my throat, and I shake my head. I need to get out. I need to hunt the furry. With a louder growl, I yank against the metal jaws.

There's a sharp growl around me, and the teeth release. With a shake of my head, I stretch my jaw and trot to the territory. My nose twitches as I look at my pack. Charlie stands near Delta as they adjust to being free by stretching.

My sight settles on Echo, who's rubbing her scarred eye. In moments, she stiffens and lunges. The large metal teeth screech as she slams into them. Fleshlings are screeching. Something close to the gate has caught Echo's wrath.

While I want to find the furry, there's a metallic scent that fills the air. My tongue rolls over my teeth as Echo descends upon a male fleshling. Her claws easily slice through his skin. She pulls him closer, trying to get an arm through the jaws. She doesn't need the entire prey, there's enough meat on the arm to suffice for now.

The male shrieks as Echo slashes at the other side of him. Her snout is too large to fit, or we'd be feasting by now. As blood smears down her arms and snout, I step closer—the animal in my stomach snarling me on. What's the best way to rip both arms from his torso? Can we move him so we tear into his legs?

Alpha's roar is lost in the din as my talons slide through the mulch. My lungs fill for a screech when a female fleshling joins the disarray. Her muscles aren't strong enough to pull the male from Echo's grasp, meaning she will be an easy target as well. Echo isn't pleased with the distraction as she slashes with a snarl.

The wind picks up as I reach the gate and hits me dead on.

My nose flares.

I know that scent, but I'm not sure which fleshling it belongs to.

"Echo!" I shriek. "Stop!"

In the next moment, I see a lightning stick charge the fence. My heart begins to race. I'm stumbling backwards with a roar.

"BACK UP!"

Before she has time to register my command, Echo's met with the lightning stick. Stumbling back, she can barely growl as she shivers. In moments, I'm in front of her, snarling. Delta's not far behind as she takes position next to me. The fleshling with the lightning stick trembles as he attempts to hold his ground.

Alpha shoves the fleshling back, grabbing the stick from him. He then chucks it away from us. He holds up a hand in an attempt to calm me. Ignoring him, I notice the male Echo attacked is being dragged off. I then focus my attention on the fleshling who shocked Echo. The male is desperately trying to put as many metal jaws between us and him as possible. His fear is thick in the air. Clearly he recognizes the mistake he's made.

A mistake I will kill him for.

My gaze shifts to the bleeding female.

It's hard to tell how hurt she is. We bleed and heal quickly. The exception is when there's a big fight like Echo and I. Fleshlings, though, fleshlings have soft skin and bleed a lot.

I stiffen slightly as Alpha goes to her, lifts her from the ground. Is he going to harm her? Has Echo harmed her? Where is he taking her? My heart begins to pound.

Will Meat Bringer return?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

He lives by the quote: in the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.

That's how he watches the events unfold in slow motion and how he continues to see it now as he rushes to the office.

Owen enters the room and heads to the filing cabinet in the corner. It groans as it opens, and he shoves files out of the way. Finally, he reaches Ben's and throws that on the small table behind him. Doe's and Tanner's quickly follow.

He keeps running the event through his head, but finds himself repeating another quote instead: chaos is merely order waiting to be deciphered.

 _Chaos was everywhere in the paddock. Ben was too close to the fence—didn't anyone listen to what he said? Echo lunged; claws sliced into him like butter. She'd pulled him flush to the gate before he even knew what hit him._

Shaking his head, Owen opens Tanner's file. The man was a hard worker and had worked with animals previously. Somewhere in the hiring frenzy, he'd missed the notation that Tanner had been fired previously for inappropriate comments to coworkers. How did he skip that?

As Owen flips open Ben's and Doe's files, his fingers tremble. _Blood was everywhere. All over the gate, all over Echo, all over Ben… His skin was ribboned in areas, bone glistened white in others._ Owen can feel his stomach turning, and he wonders if that's what he'd looked like when Echo had gotten a hold of him. He shakes his head; he knows he looked a lot worse.

Ben's resume shows all the man's accomplishments and his degrees. However, none of his previous jobs support his degree. True, he'd worked at several zoos, but in admissions. ADMISSIONS! Owen somehow had missed that and is now kicking himself because it's no wonder the ticket giver was attacked. It's a surprise it didn't happen sooner.

While his degrees look spotless, it's been five years since he's earned them. FIVE! And not a single job to show for it in his chosen field!

Owen shakes his head as blood flashes across his sight again. He stumbles into the chair and sinks his face in his hands. _Doe tried to tug Ben out of Echo's grasp. Blue tensed for attack. The wind shifted the blood scent from him to Blue, and she froze._

Looking at Doe's file, he's not even sure why he'd hired her. There's nothing in her file that should have gotten her the job. He must have really been tired when he said yes to her. Although, it was probably because she had no family. At the time, he saw that as a plus.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Owen can't believe he'd let all this go by the wayside. In the hurry to hire people, he's made so many mistakes. Closing his eyes, he bows his head and the blood continues to pour over him again and again until he's drowning in it.

His clothes are covered in it.

 _Echo attacked Ben. Blue was right up next to her. They were going to kill Ben. Doe tugged at Ben. Blue shifted to attack. The wind changed direction. Blue immediately backed up and shrieked at Echo. Blue was trying to stop Echo. The ACU stepped in._

He looks at her application again. Doe's worked two jobs; one a grocery store and the other Walmart. She'd worked register at both places. She's thirty and this is the most intense job she's had. No wonder she hangs around Ben all the time; he's telling her what to do.

Owen stops and blinks.

Suddenly, the door swings open and in walks Dearing. Her eyes are wide and she opens her mouth to speak, but doesn't. She crosses the small room and sits across from him. Her eyes trace over the files before she looks at him. There's a deep breath.

"Ben is in surgery. They think he'll make it."

He finds himself nodding.

The clock in the corner snaps loudly. It must be counting down to the next killing. It drinks the blood of the victims. The ticking is its growling stomach…

Dearing shifts uncomfortably in the chair. It's like she's never heard of death before. She finally clears her throat. "Do you want to go to the mainland tonight?"

Anywhere but here is good. He doesn't want to keep seeing the blood. He doesn't want the screams echoing in his ears. Owen wants to be a million miles from this place. And Claire can get him there.

* * *

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	13. Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat (Remix)

_The next raptor feeding will begin shortly. Parents be warned, this show may be disturbing for smaller children._

 _In addition, should you wish to view the songs that inspire the chapter titles and chapters, please view the bottom of the profile page._

 _You have been warned._

 _Thank you._

 _ **Welcome...to the Feeding**_

 _Chapter 12_

 **Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat (Remix)**

* * *

There're two.

Their scents are strong, and yet, distinctive from each other. They're something I've never smelled before. I can feel the blood coursing through their veins. Their snorts are loud. As I slide through the bushes, I do everything I can to keep my jaw closed—for more reason than the lure of breathing meat.

Echo shouldn't have attacked. I want to lash out at her, and the animal in my stomach snarls in encouragement. It tells me the fleshlings will be furious. Alpha will be angry.

It is a surprise the fleshlings have opened a new territory for us despite what just occurred. It's a surprise they're letting us hunt meat. They've never allowed this before. It might be a punishment.

Halting, my sister's pause behind. My nose twitches. The meat scent is not as strong. They seem to be further from where we are. My tail twitches as I change course, breaking into a sprint. My sisters follow.

It's confusing. There's nothing we've been taught that teaches us how to act and respond to each other in this situation. The closest has been a similar game with Alpha before, and the reward was stick meat. This is much different, though. Something living exists in this new territory. Something we must hunt. Something that is now very close.

Lowering towards the ground, I slow my trot. Delta breaks right as Charlie and Echo bank left. In moments, they're lost in the bushes; the sounds of their talons disappear entirely.

Peering through the bush, my head tilts slightly to the left. The dark furry beasts are much larger than the white furries from the silver cave. My tongue runs across my lips without my permission. The strong sound of their hearts pumping blood causes the creatures in my stomach to snarl.

My snout pokes through. One looks up at me, fear in its dark eyes. It doesn't move. However, I'm confused by what I see. My sisters and I have color in our eyes; Alpha has color in his. This furry creature, though, already looks dead. Its eyes display its fear, but there's something already dead about it.

A shriek from the right catches my attention, and a green flash lunges into view. It takes down the furry looking at me. Suddenly, blood is filling my sense. I lick my lips with a soft growl. My feet stomp against the ground.

The other furry cries out but doesn't get the chance to move. A brown flash has slammed into it, pinning it down.

I trot into the clearing, pleased to see Delta and Echo have taken the lead. Charlie enters a bit slower and walks to the furry Delta has pinned down. She scents and approaches its head, eliciting a growl from Delta. Charlie bears her teeth with a hiss in response before snapping her jaws around the furry's neck and tugging its throat out. She then allows Delta to slit the furry's stomach and eat before she begins to tear away chunks of flesh. I find her behavior odd but don't question it.

Walking to Echo, her longer talon slits the stomach and she drops her head. Her teeth eagerly sink into the flesh, blood smearing her jaws and head. Echo pays no mind to the whimpers from the furry. I, on the other claw, look at its head.

Nothing will ever keep me from meat. It is the source of life. I cannot keep breathing without it. While I have had not-meat before and find it tasty, warm flesh is what I desire above all else. There is something about it that seems to give life.

In spite of this, I can feel the suffering of the big furry. My talon taps. These things are alive, just like us, but not. They look like living dead. I do not understand and approach the head. It deserves a better death. It is giving us its life, and I am grateful for the furry's sacrifice.

I understand Charlie's move now. Perhaps she feels the suffering as well. It takes nothing for my teeth to rip its throat out and causing its suffering to stop. The taste of warm blood has me snapping at Echo with a growl. She backs up with a hiss, startled.

With head buried in the inner belly, the flesh is hot in my mouth. My stomach roars in encouragement. Claws scratch against muscle and string as I slash under the bone cage. It's there I find my target. My teeth sink into the heart. A growl escapes my throat as I yank it from its creature.

Blood.

Meat.

Flesh.

Heat.

By the time the bones are picked clean, the animal in my stomach is silent.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen's never been to Winston's Steakhouse in his almost 18 months on Isla Nublar and isn't sure if he wants to be on the island at all. He was hoping for a ferry to the mainland—especially since that was basically promised. He was hoping for a pub to drink away the earlier events. Apparently, though, nothing was going to work out for him today.

This place was Claire's idea. She sits across from him now, still all prim and proper like a poodle. At least she's changed from those hideous skirt suits into a slinky dress. He's not entirely sure why she's dressed that way, but it's comforting to know she relaxes a tiny bit. A soft smile has replaced her normally serious face as she reads the menu.

Swallowing roughly, Owen can't pull his eyes from the prices. While he makes really good money, he still views fifty-six dollars for a filet mignon as expensive. It reminds him of the sixty-five dollar T-Rex toy Blue wanted when she was a baby.

Claire pauses to look at her phone. "It must be a nice feeling to know that your assets are being fed."

Owen nods as he tries to decide which appetizer he wants. Normally, he would find something adventurous to eat, something filling. However, with how the rest of the day has been going, that's probably not something he should attempt—especially when a lot of money is on the line.

"Have you always wanted to train animals?"

He looks up at her. "No. I haven't dealt with animals in years. Didn't have much time for that in the Navy."

Okay, so part of that's a lie. Yes, he was busy, but he could have gotten an animal when he was with his ex. Probably a good thing he hadn't, all things considered. Not only had he become houseless and fiancée-less, but he would have lost the dog, too.

"I wonder what they saw in you," she comments and watches the waiter approach.

Owen's brow furrows, and Claire orders some beet root salad—whatever the hell that is—while he's trying to puzzle through what she meant. It isn't until after he orders fried calamari that he tries to speak. Only, he doesn't get a word in since she's playing with her phone again.

"So," she starts, looking up from the screen. "Is there a reason you're wearing board shorts?"

Sitting back, he gives a nod. "It's hot here."

Her lips purse, and he sees questions in her eyes. She shakes her head and checks her phone again. "Hopefully they can have the food out here in the next ten minutes."

"Why?"

"Otherwise, we'll be off schedule."

He crosses his arms as the front legs of his chair come off the ground and he balances on the back two. "What schedule?"

"Well, dinner will last an hour and a half which you'll pay for since you're a gentlemen. From here, we'll go to Magaritaville for a drink. After you pay for us there, we'll have some time in which we can go back to my place and see where that will lead. Of course, depending on time, we might only have a few minutes to no more than an hour."

Owen can feel his jaw hanging like a broken nutcracker. He's grasping for words, but all he can wonder is if this is a date.

Did Claire really plan out a date? Did she really have an itinerary of what needs to be done and when? Did she really think this was a good idea after two of his employees were attacked earlier?

And if she thought _something_ was going to happen at her place, did she really think he could accomplish it in minutes?

Well…

That explains her look over his board shorts.

He doesn't comment—can't comment—and he's stuck wishing there was something other than her choice of white wine in front of him. It can't be. She wouldn't be—couldn't be—that disassociated with others' emotions. This couldn't be a date. He's just jumping to conclusions in light of earlier.

"I need a shot of Tequila," he finally croaks out.

"Too many calories," she responds.

"What?! Who cares about calories?"

"I do since I'm on a diet."

It's then and there he decides to get some stuff off his chest. "Claire…"

"Yes, Owen."

"A few things," he says and takes a breath. "First, I could have sworn you said we were going to the mainland."

"Oh, I figured this place was easier to access and better suited."

While attempting to keep a straight face, his muscles are threatening mutiny. "What does that mean?"

"That we'll have more time for the other things planned."

"Rrriiiight…" Owen bites his tongue momentarily. "That leads me to my next question. Why is there an itinerary?"

Her eyes widen as if she thinks he's gone mad. "So we don't get off track. We have to stick to the schedule."

"What schedule?"

She huffs. "Date night, of course."

And that's when his face mutinies against his better intentions. His brow lifts, nose scrunches, eyes widened, head tilts to the side. His jaw slacks, and he can't even begin to form words. What in the hell just happened?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The sun disappears behind the surrounding rock. Soft chirps form as the sky turns black. Charlie has found herself attached to me. Her head darts back and forth as soft whimpers escape her.

"Why aren't they calling us?" she asks.

I don't know how to answer. It's been a while since I've seen the dark sky. The moon has always been something of beauty in my mind as are the little, white suns. With a deep breath, the night air relaxes my muscles. It will be nice to sleep under the moon.

Earlier, I ran the perimeter with Delta while Echo and Charlie explored within. We discovered we are alone in a much wider area. The territory allows us to sprint and hide without fear of the fleshlings watching. For all the trouble they've caused lately, this is a nice gift.

Trotting to a large rock, I leap up and circle several times before laying down. This will be a good place to sleep tonight. It's so different from my cave, and with a stomach full of food, I can't imagine things could get any better. For the first time since the Hatchling Territory, I'm not worried. Perhaps I'll sleep without the not-real happenings.

"Are the fleshlings going to punish us?"

My head lifts as Charlie lands on the rock. She sits on her haunches with wide eyes on me.

"Is this to hurt us?"

I roll onto my back and stretch my talons toward the moon. "Char, relax. I do not think this is bad. We have a larger territory now."

"But we've never been left out during the moon here."

With a shake of my head, I flex my claws toward the moon. "You need to sleep. You're coming up with crazy ideas."

When Delta hops on the rock, I realize my resting spot is too large. She looks down at me. "She could be right."

"Look, listens-to-others'-growls-while-hiding, you two can go cower in the bushes while I sleep under the moon and little suns," I growl.

"You're not the least bit concerned?" questions Delta.

Snorting, I roll onto my side. "My stomach is full, I'm not trapped in a cage, I can run as fast as I'd like, and I refuse to let anything ruin that. Besides, if fleshlings enter the territory now, it's much easier to stalk and kill them."

Delta hesitates before circling and laying down next to me. "Then you can protect me."

My head perks up. "I didn't say you could sleep here. I said go hide in the bushes."

Her raised brow is a challenge and I snarl. If she thinks she's going to win this, she's wrong. Delta needs to take a closer look at Echo and see what happens to those who challenge me—

When Charlie's head flops against my stomach, I know I've lost the battle. It's only moments before Echo lands on the rock, circles and lays down next to me. Sighing, my eyes roll up to the moon. I should have chosen a smaller rock.

"You know," Delta growls softly. "We wouldn't be half as worried—"

" _You_ wouldn't be," I point out and watch a tiny bright sun fly across the sky.

"Two of us," she snaps, "wouldn't be half as worried if the other hadn't nearly killed the fleshling today."

Oddly enough, it's not Echo who responds to Delta's issue. It's me, and my snarl sends Charlie leaping from the rock.

I'm up in an instant, glaring down at her. "We were all starving."

Delta rises, but I straighten up to keep my height over her. "She didn't have to attack the fleshling. This may be a punishment for that."

" _I_ would have eaten him had I the chance," I growl.

"We've been hungry for a while."

"And now we're not."

Delta snorts before leaping off the rock and trotting into the bushes.

Shaking my head, a sigh leaves my lips. Fighting with Delta is not something that happens often. It's something we try to avoid. In this case, it's a sad necessity. As many mistakes as Echo has made in the past, today's earlier attack is understandable, to an extent.

"Thank you."

My head swings round and I hiss. "What was that earlier?"

Echo's risen to her feet and she takes a slight step back. "W-What?"

The confusion in her soft growl is apparent, but the feelings of my fight with Delta are starting to rise up. "The fleshling. Why did you attack?"

"He was meat. Meat was on the jaws. It was food. I was starving."

"But you attacked her without my permission."

Echo shakes her head and momentarily flashes her teeth as her tail swishes. "We didn't know meat was coming. He was there—"

" _I_ knew," I growl. "That's why you _always_ wait for my lead."

"But you attacked him with me," she growls softly.

"I told you to get back!"

Echo's face scrunches and she is clearly trying not to snarl. "The male I attacked is not kind. I did not think he mattered."

My building anger vanishes as my head tilts to the side. "What?"

With a clenched mouth, Echo looks away. She lowers to her haunches.

"Echo?"

"He's not kind," Charlie whimpers as she enters the clearing again. After a hesitation, she hops back onto the rock. "He's come with lightning sticks in the middle of the moon. When Delta killed the others for food while Echo and you were away, she was really trying to kill him."

"But Meat Bringer…"

Echo looks at me. "Who?"

"Meat Bringer. They were at the gate today. In the attack."

Charlie shakes her head. "I don't know who that is."

"They would bring meat at night for me to eat."

Echo shakes her head. "I've never received any."

"Blue… What's going on?" Charlie growls.

Several long breaths pass. Nothing makes sense. Are Meat Bringer and the male the same person? It can't be. Meat Bringer smelled like the female at the gate. However, while my sisters have been plagued by the lightning stick, I've been receiving food. So, perhaps it has been the male and he's giving me meat. If that's the case, why? And does Alpha know?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

A date.

A date!

 _A DATE!_

How in the hell could she have thought that was a good idea?

As Owen downs another shot of Tequila, he sighs. The long day has been nothing but torture and mistake after mistake.

He now sits in a corner of the bar at Sunrio Tequila Bar and Mexican Restaurant. It's been famous at Jurassic World, since it's open all day allowing you can get drunk and go dinosaur watching. Who thought this was a good idea and why, is not quite a reasoning level Owen is at. If he has a few more shots, he might be able to understand.

 _A date_ , he groans inwardly. He should have seen it coming. He should have understood.

Owen rests his head down on the smooth, wooden bar. After the world's longest day, there has to be some sort of end. Something positive has to come around. A day can't suck this bad and not have a light at the end of the tunnel.

However, getting hit by the train that's most likely coming down the tunnel is not something he's eager to reach.

The bartender gives him another shot. "You look like you need it, amigo."

"More than you think," Owen responds.

Looking at the shot, he's grateful for this little joy-bringer. It will help him get to bed and maybe have a little fun before then.

He's about to down it when he hears the bartender talking to a man a few seats down. They're speaking in Spanish, and while Owen knows a decent amount of the language now, it's still too quick for him to catch everything.

From what he gathers, the man is telling a story of La Segua and a supposedly recent sighting.

Owen has heard La Segua a few times. The seductress is described as a beautiful, Snow White-looking woman seeking men who like to party and would take advantage of a "vulnerable" female. She will wait for them to leave the bar before approaching and asking for a ride home because she is tired. In some ways, he thinks it sounds like a Craigslist horror story, complete with outcome.

After she gets her ride, the story differs from person to person. Some say the unlucky man turns to her to discover she suddenly has the face of a horse and bloodshot eyes. Others say she strikes up a conversation, asks for a cigarette, and when they look at her, her face is a bloody and bony horse head with fire coming out of the eyes and yellow teeth. He's even heard once or twice that men have made it to a few bases, despite her protests before she reveals her horse head.

Owen's still half listening as he downs the shot of Tequila, and it's not long after that the man finishes his tale and leaves.

At some point, Owen rises from the bar. He's suddenly overcome by the need to see Ben. The man was put in the park hospital earlier. His injuries looked extensive. He was in surgery at some point. Owen wonders if he's alive or not.

Staggering out of Sunrio, he stumbles down the path, running into a garbage can—which he apologizes to. The hospital is far from where he is, and it's going to be slow going.

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	14. Lie To Me

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 _ **Welcome...to the Disturbance**_

 _Chapter 13_

 **Lie To Me**

* * *

The smell is odd, different. Drifting through the leaves, it reaches the rock. There's a bitterness to it, but I recognize something in it, nonetheless.

Shifting, I pull myself from under Charlie and slide off the rock. With a glance to my sisters, they sleep soundly under the dark sky. The moon has since disappeared leaving the small suns winking at me from above.

I trot through the territory, nose held high, toward the metal jaws. Something feels off. My tail twitches as I quiet my breath. Something isn't right.

I glide through a narrow cave to the smaller territory. Nothing seems to have changed since we were allowed into the new area earlier. The quiet surroundings cause my heart to pound faster. I focus on not making a sound. The area around me feels unfamiliar in the dark.

Passing the water holes, I finally arrive at the edge of the leaves. Through them, the large metal jaws are ominous causing my muscles to tense. A dark figure stands there, swaying slightly. There's a familiar rhythmic growling that comes from it and my muscles loosen. The smell is recognizable as well, but the odd bitterness makes me snort.

Leaving the safety of the trees, I trot to the metal jaws and pause. Alpha bares his teeth at me, and stumbles to the right. I'm impressed that he remains up right. His breath hits my nose and I'm stumbling backwards with a growl. The odd bitterness makes me sneeze and scrunch my nose. It's horrid, and my stomach lurches in response.

Alpha looks at me. His soft growls seem sad as he reaches out. Something is wrong with him. Is he hurt? I don't smell blood. My breathing increases as he lurches to the left. I don't know how to help him. I've never seen him like this before.

A shadow appears behind. Despite the fact I am able to see in the darkness, their skin covers their snout and eyes. Fortunately, I know that scent well and my tail swishes. Meat Bringer has arrived.

They gently place a claw on Alpha. Turning, his eyes squint as if he can't see. He seems confused. Meat Bringer growls softly and slowly leads him from the gate. They seem to understand what is wrong with Alpha. They seem to know how to help. They seem kind.

It makes me accept something that confuses me.

Meat Bringer cannot be the one who used the lightning stick on my sisters. So, who is?

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

When he wakes, his head is pounding worse than a jackhammer on cement. The agony he feels has Owen wondering if Echo attacked again. Glancing to his nightstand, he notices a blue and white bottle of Advil and a glass of water there—or maybe it's a few glasses of water. He can't quite see straight.

Reaching out, he grabs the pill bottle and winces since it appears to sound like a firing squad. Owen manages to open it and takes out two translucent blue pills. As he swallows them down with water, he tries not to gag over the lemon scent in his house. He feels as if he suddenly lives in a yellow citrus.

The world spins when his eyes close. A monitor lizard appears followed by a woman with a horse's head. Blood seeps into his vision as Ben is attacked by Echo. At some point, everything slows and he's left with images of Blue as a baby. They're sharing a burrito, watching hockey, and he sees her first steps.

Owen isn't sure what time he finally wakes. His phone is dead, and his body is tentatively deciding if he's still in pain or if he has a headache. He doesn't know how he got home or in his bed. He's also unsure how Advil and water got on his nightstand. The last thing he remembers is Ben in the hospital.

The man was sleeping—no surprise. He was still in ICU but considered stable. Nurses claim Ben will be up and walking in a few days' time, much sooner than Owen. However, Ben also wasn't brutally attacked in an open pen. At least there was a gate in the way.

Regardless, Echo was just hungry.

Making his way to the bathroom, Owen knows that someone helped him get home. Apart from his shirt, he's still clothed—something that rarely happens when he sleeps. He's been drunk before and still stripped naked to sleep. Someone must have stopped him, and part of him wonders why. It's not as if he's that horrible looking—although maybe he is and that's why his fiancée left him.

In the shower, the water pours down, and the steam chases away aches but leaves the tired feeling. Owen's dying to go back to sleep, though he knows he can't. He knows Ben's okay, but he should really stop by Doe's apartment and make sure she's all right as well.

Thirty minutes later, he's dressed and searching for apartment 1407. The complex is a place he rarely visits, since Barry prefers to hang out at his bungalow.

Owen has always been impressed that the place is more like a hotel than a complex. There are elevators and all the front doors are in an air-conditioned hallway. Room service is readily accessible and there are constantly events going on for employees to take part in. If Owen didn't love the privacy of his home and its ideal location, he would have gladly moved into an apartment here.

The elevator dings as it reaches the fourteenth floor. Stepping out into a quiet hallway, he notices a sign before him that informs him 1407 is to the left. Walking down the corridor, the lush blue carpet silences his footfalls. The lights that sit outside of every door are on, but with a softer glow—similar to mood lighting. Surprisingly enough, it's easy to see both ends of the hallway.

Reaching 1407, Owen knocks like a wood pecker on a tree. Several long moments pass and when there's no answer, he knocks louder. There's still no answer, but the door pops open.

Peeking in, Owen looks around. "Hello?"

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The sun's warmth on my skin is what wakes me. It's not burning; it's comfortable. Looking around, I see Charlie curled against me and Echo near my head. I also spot Delta curled on the rock. She must have gotten over her anger and joined after I returned from the jaws.

Quietly, I take my leave of the rock and trot to water. In the daylight, things don't seem as eerie as they were last night. With a stop at the metal jaws first, I see no hint that Alpha or Meat Bringer were ever there. Backtracking to the water holes, I gladly hop into the lower one.

The cool feeling over my skin causes me to shudder, but I enjoy it. Rolling, I take a deep breath and drop my head below the surface.

My eyes open and I look around the strange land. The sun is no longer a circle, but becomes waves of light. Shadows are everywhere and shift as the water moves. Charlie has once spoken of the water meat eaters. At the moment, I wonder what it would be like to be one. Could I breathe the stuff I drink? Would I drink it still?

My head pops up, allowing me to take a breath and discover Delta stands before me. Her tail swishes toward the ground, and she takes a large breath.

"About last night…"

Shaking my head, water flies to both sides. "You don't have to growl anything."

"But I do." She sits back on her haunches. "I heard the snarls after I left. Echo and Charlie were mostly right. I was trying to kill the fleshling who shocked us—and get some meat. Echo was just doing the same thing."

I approach her. "Has someone really come after you with lightning sticks?"

"While you were gone…every night. Even after you returned." She shudders. "I shouldn't have been mad at Echo for doing what I did. I understand her."

Climbing out of the water, I leap up to the higher hole. After taking a drink, my gaze meets Delta's below. "Mistakes happen. We're only living; it's bound to happen."

She gives a nod and looks up as Charlie and Echo push through the leaves. The latter immediately backs away from Delta.

Delta's gaze shifts to the ground before she moves toward Echo. "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Echo's eyes narrow as her nose flares. With a swish of her tail, she lowers onto her haunches. "You were afraid. We all were."

They surprise me. Both have disagreed with each other from the beginning. They've disliked each other since they'd first met. Now, after everything, we all seem to be finding a middle territory. We all seem to be agreeing. We all seem to be a family.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen walks further into the apartment, looking for any sign of life. "Doe?"

His gaze travels around the room, and he notices how minimal it is. There's a couch to the right facing a small 28-inch TV on the wall. In front of it is a rickety coffee table with a Bible on it. The left holds a foosball table where the dining room—or would it be considered a part of the living room?—table should be. The kitchen is small with a counter and stove making a pony wall to end off the living room. Following the half wall leads to an open door Owen assumes is the bedroom.

He rocks back and forth on his feet. Going back there could reveal a number of possibilities. Clearing his throat, he calls louder, "Doe?"

Biting the inside of his cheek, Owen struggles with what to do. Doe could be in a lot of trouble, seeing as how she was bleeding pretty badly yesterday. However, he could walk back there and face a situation like when his ex was banging his CO pretty hard.

At some level, her safety is more important than anything he might walk into. With a deep breath, he ventures into the bedroom.

The full-sized bed is made up with sapphire fabric. Light brown pillows accent the sheets. Again, there's not much in decorations apart from a simple, empty nightstand that looks as if it's going to fall apart. Above the bed is a quote which reads: "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good."

Owen knows he's read it before, but can't place where it's from. By this time, however, the sound of water catches his attention. Slowly, he approaches the bathroom door which is wide open.

"Doe?" he calls out and pauses. Bandages, both clean and bloody, are scattered across the sink counter. Water streams from the faucet into the drain. Doe stands at the counter with her back to him, scabbed arms held out toward the water; frozen—much like time itself.

Normally, he wouldn't be able to tell what was going through someone's mind who has their back to him. Be that as it may, in this case, the mirror reveals all.

With wide eyes, her pupils are dilated and her shoulders are scrunched up with a slightly open mouth as if she's readying a scream. She pulls in a soft gasp, and his eye catches the movement in her chest. It's then he realizes she's in a white camisole which looks see-through due to the red bra underneath. At least her sweatpants are dark and flowy. He can't see anything there.

The second time starts again, chaos enters the room. A shriek leaves her lips. He tries to say he's sorry, which comes out sounding just like, "Oh shit!" Doe lunges to the left. He bolts through the doorway and into the living room.

Owen stands facing the foosball table with his back to the bedroom door. He crosses his arms.

"Who walks into an apartment uninvited?!" he hears from the other room.

"Well," he responds and peeks over his shoulder. "To be fair, your door just opened up and let me in."

"Is that a joke?" Doe questions, appearing in the bedroom doorframe in an over-sized, black, zip-up hoodie.

Fully turning to her, he shrugs. "Not really. It let me in of its own accord."

"We're you raised by wolves?" She shakes her head. "Who friggin' does that?"

"I-uh—" He pauses. "Did you just say friggin'?"

Her brow lowers, and she storms past him into the kitchen. She yanks open the fridge door, where he sees some Tupperware hiding, and she pulls a lemon from it. Turning, she faces him. Wincing, she reaches up to the cupboard and pulls out a plate and cup. Grabbing a knife, she cuts into the lemon.

"Why are you still here?" she growls.

"I wanted to see if you were all right."

After putting lemon slices in the cup, she throws the rest in the garbage disposal and runs it. The sweet smell of lemon envelops the apartment.

"I'm fine," she responds after turning off the disposal. "You can go now."

Except he can't. He's frozen to the spot. Because lemons jog his memory. "You hypocrite."

Pulling a bottle of water from the fridge, she pours it into the cup. "What are you talking about?"

"You were in my home," he says and looks to the still-open fridge. He has the same Tupperware in his fridge. "You made me food."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He gasps. "You cleaned off my mac and cheese burner!"

Her brows sit high on her forehead with the look that says he should be committed to an asylum. "Why would I enter your house? No, better yet; why would I clean it?"

"Because you felt it was dirty?" Owen focuses on her, watches her carefully as if he's playing a chess game, because that's what this has become. He knows without a doubt that she was in his house. The Tupperware and lemon scent speak for themselves. Obviously, she's not going to be forthright with him and admit she was creeping in his house for whatever reason. He's left with no choice but to trap her in a lie.

"You tell me what _you_ were doing at my bungalow. _We_ don't know each other."

She sips her water. "You're never around for us to get to know."

He leans against the counter. "That's not what this is about."

Doe turns and opens a cabinet. She pulls out a straw and shuts it, but not before Owen notices a bag of opened Jolly Ranchers.

"Do you like Jolly Ranchers?" he asks.

"Who doesn't?"

"They're helpful for low blood sugar."

Placing the straw in her glass, she looks at him. "Why are you still here?"

"Why were you in my bung—?" His brow rises as he realizes she's not wearing her glasses. She hasn't been wearing them. If she needs them—which she seems to, since she has them every day—wouldn't she have them on? "Where are your glasses?"

"On my nightstand, inquisitor."

No, Owen distinctly remembers only a lamp on the stand.

"I've answered your questions; get out," she growls through gritted teeth.

Owen can't prove anything, but he knows she was there, knows she's lying now. Turning toward the door, he sighs. Why was she in his bungalow? How can he get her to fess up?

He pauses. "You knew I was on Vicodin."

"It wasn't a hard guess," she replies as she catches up with him and pushes him toward the door. "You were severely injured and there are very few things you could have been on."

"But you knew I didn't take the whole pill," he mutters and purses his lips. It's another thing he knows but can't prove. It's driving him crazy. If he up and fires her at this moment, he'll never know why, and he's not ready to live without the answer.

As he reaches he door, the black fabric of her hoodie caresses his skin. He looks at her, at the over-sized hoodie and realizes he's got her pinned. "You were feeding Blue."

She scoffs. "Are you out to get me? Do you take joy in accusing the innocent?"

"No," he says and looks her in the eyes. "You were feeding Blue. You're the one that the cameras caught bringing her meat. Why?"

"You are out of your mind."

"Do you think I don't know my Blue? When Echo attacked yesterday," he snaps as the images rush him again, "Blue called off the attack when _you_ got involved."

She shakes her head, but as she tries to respond, he railroads her.

"No, Blue stopped _because_ you were there. She wouldn't kill you. The hoodie you're wearing, it's the one from the images. I thought it was Tanner—or a male, at least—because the person looked larger. With that, though, you're the right size. You're the one that was feeding her.

"And you clearly know something about hunger levels, since you told Ben to give me the Jolly Ranchers. It now makes sense why Ben's always around you. You tell him what to do, and he reaps the benefits. However, if Ben was truly the intelligent one, he _never_ would have gone near the gate.

"Not to mention, you knew I had only taken half a Vicodin and still trying to work when I fired Tanner for calling you a—"

It's here Owen freezes because he's now realizing what the men were talking about in the bar the previous night. "Holy shit… They think you're La Segua."

By this point, Doe has no response. She's staring at him, wide-eyed with a slightly open mouth—like he's simply lost his mind, and she's wondering if he's going to kill her.

Looking out the hallway, Owen looks left and right before shutting the door. He leans against it and takes a breath as his gaze meets her. "You lied. Tanner only thought you were sleeping around. But you didn't sleep with any of those men. You made sure they were drunk enough to forget; then you leave them and feed Blue. That's why they're calling you La Segua."

Doe moves to cross her arms but winces and decides to shove them in the pockets of the hoodie. "I didn't do anyth—"

"No," he interrupts. "You did. I just don't understand why. Why would you look out for me? Why would you look out for Blue?"

"I'm not," she objects and huffs. "I swear. All I've done is the late nights at a Walmart and a grocery store. I don't know much. I'm only here because at least I'll die doing something with my life than selling drunks alcohol. Plus, it helps Jurassic World that I have no family because no one cares if I die. So all these things you're accusing me of, I didn't do. I couldn't have done."

There's that little hiccup. The file says she comes from a small town. She dropped out of high school. Worked those two jobs. Her file's pretty much empty. It's like she hasn't done much with her life. Almost like she ceased to—

His head drops back against the door. He's seen resumes like that before. It's exceedingly amateur and the simplicity is why he overlooked it.

Owen pins her with a stare. "Why are you living under another alias?"

* * *

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	15. Little Toy Guns

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 _Thank you for your time._

 _ **Welcome...to the Mystery**_

 _Chapter 14_

 **Little Toy Guns**

* * *

My stomach hasn't been this plump since the Hatchling Territory. It's a nice feeling. One that allows me to snooze without the animal in my stomach snarling, since it no longer controls me. A soft growl emanates low in my throat. My tail gently knocks against the rock I'm lying on. For the first time in a while, I'm content.

There are hisses and growls from the ground beneath my rock. Every few minutes, one eye slides open to make sure that Echo hasn't harmed Charlie. It's no surprise that the younger is constantly on the ground; that's to be expected with inexperience. The fact Echo is teaching Charlie to fight makes my insides warm and puts a smile on lips.

"You don't just roll over," Echo chides with a snort and flexes her claws. "Use your claws."

"But you already pushed me over," Charlie gripes and stands up. "You said to go belly up."

"Not when you're fighting for your life, furry-brain."

"That's not a nice word!" There's the scratch of talons and a shadow covers my face. "Bluuuuueee…"

The mewling causes me to look up at the green raptor.

"Blue, Echo said a mean word!"

"It's not mean if it's true," Echo retorts from below.

Rolling onto my back, I yawn. "Why aren't you down there fighting her on it?"

I receive a quirked brow as confusion spreads across her young face.

"Don't complain to me. Go beat her up," I explain.

Charlie hesitates and looks down at Echo. After a breath, she lowers her snout to my face. Her growl is quiet in my ear. "Can I do that?"

"You're a hunter, aren't you, Char?"

She nods.

"Then go," I growl and shove her off the rock.

Tumbling to the ground, there's a squeak from Charlie. She rights herself as Delta emerges from the leaves. With a huff, the youngest lunges at Echo. The two begin to snarl and squabbling, kicking up dirt. Delta leaps onto the rock next me.

"They practice how we used to," she growls softly as she lays down.

I roll onto my back and stretch my talons toward the clear blue sky. "It's endearing."

"How long has it been since we've been allowed to be normal?"

I glance at her. "What do you mean?"

"Do you ever get the feeling they're trying to make us into dimwitted furries?"

Lowering my talons, I use my claw to scratch my chest. "We can never be furries. We hunt them."

"Yes, but you heard from Echo and Charlie their hatch mates were very different from us. The red fleshling allowed Echo to be attacked. Fox told Charlie she was not what she was meant to be," she hesitates and lowers her voice as if she's growling to herself, "Probably because the fleshlings growled her to."

"I doubt Fox could understand what the fleshlings growl."

"I can."

My brow rises.

Delta bites her bottom lip as she takes a deep breath. I can feel her nervousness wash over me. "I don't just understand pieces of what they snarl. I can understand everything Kind Hand growls. I know the growls Alpha sings to you. I can understand their growls, and if I can… Who's to snarl Fox couldn't understand? What if she could and that's why she constantly berated Charlie?"

"Berated?"

She shakes her head. "Berate, the fleshlings use it. It means to hatefully chide."

My lip rises a bit, allowing my teeth to peek out of their home. The fact Delta seems to use the fleshling terms in order to make a point has put me on edge. I want to pretend I don't understand why I'm mad, but it's obvious. I'm angry she can understand Alpha and I can't.

"It's like they want us to be these creatures," Delta continues, "who are a pack, but divided within. They release Echo into here, fearful and angry. They force Charlie into this territory without knowing how to hunt. They extend our territory, but only so more fleshlings can view us with their flashy lights. And they intentionally keep us starving. I think it's to keep us dimwitted, since we don't think as well when our stomach animals are snarling in our ears."

I watch as Echo and Charlie trip over each other, onto their backs, and burst into laughter. If what Delta growls holds any truth, would the fleshlings be angry that the two youngest get along now? Are they purposely trying to keep us hungry? Do they want us dimwitted?

"I don't think we fully understand what's going on," Delta growls softly. "I think there's something they're trying to hide from us."

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Her eyes are wide and he can just about hear the pounding in her chest.

"Open the door," she manages to choke out.

"Answer the question."

Nothing about his posture is threatening, and he makes sure to keep it that way. While closing the door probably wasn't the best idea, he doesn't need anyone prying in on the conversation. Especially since Owen suddenly doesn't know who to trust. Are others lying to him as well?

Her mouth opens several times resulting in soft gasps, but she keeps shaking her head. With glossy eyes, she remains silent.

"Who are you?" he questions and his tone is firm.

"Elizabeth," she manages between gasps. "My name is Elizabeth Doe."

"Who are you _really_?"

She begins backing away. "That's my name. I-I swear it."

Owen doesn't move from the door. However, his blood is beginning to heat. She continues to lie in the face of everything he's said to her.

"P-please leave!"

"Not until you tell me the truth," he growls and attempts to curve his anger. "I want the truth."

"I-I-I'm telling you the truth!" she exclaims as she continues to back toward her bedroom.

Despite her words, Owen can see the look in her eyes. There's an underlying defiance there. Through the tears, her gaze is hardened. Her words tremble like a man on a tightrope, but it's choreographed all the same. The shudder in her hands is too practiced, too controlled. Her fear is too forced.

These things add to his boiling blood and his growing fear about her being allowed around his girls. Owen finds the words flying out of his mouth in a snarl that would impress Blue.

"You tell me right now what your play is!"

"I don't have a play!"

"I fired Tanner for mere words! I can have you thrown into jail for whatever your gimmick is!"

"I promise you—"

"THOSE ARE _MY_ GIRLS YOU'RE AROUND!" he bellows. "Those are my little ones and I will _not_ have the lying likes of you around them! Tell me the _truth_!"

The well placed mask shatters as her eyes widen. Tears stream down her cheeks. She's doing her best to stop the little gasps coming from her trembling lips, but she can't begin to form words through chattering teeth.

"TELL ME!" He snarls, and somewhere inside he knows he should calm down, but his Blue is in danger. His daughters are in trouble and nothing will keep him from protecting them. "THOSE ARE MY GIRLS YOU'RE MESSING WITH!"

She terrified, but he doesn't care. He'll be damned before he sees anyone else bring harm to them. Especially some filthy liar.

"YOU GIVE ME THE TRUTH OR SO HELP ME GOD I'LL THROW YOU IN THE RAPTOR PIT AND WE'LL SEE HOW BLUE PROTECTS YOU THEN!"

Owen winces as the words cool his boiling blood. He doesn't really mean it. He wouldn't throw her in there, but the damage is done. She's dashed into the bedroom faster than an antelope fleeing a cheetah.

God, he's a jerk. A really big jerk. Probably an asshole for what he just said. He knows that she's wrong for lying to him, but his mother always told him 'you catch more flies with honey than vinegar'. This is just another time where his mom's words prove true. Perhaps if he hadn't accused her from the get go, he'd have his answers.

With a sigh, Owen walks to the bedroom and looks around.

She's not in there. He moves toward the bathroom to see that empty as well. He then enters the closet. It takes a few moments to see the trembling in the clothes, but he looks down to see her hands over her ears with her knees pulled to her chest.

Owen breaths out and kneels in front of her. "Doe?"

When he receives no answer, he places a hand on her ankle. He clears his throat. "Elizabeth?"

The word tasted about as weird as it sounded coming from his mouth, but it's enough to get her attention. She looks up at him. Her hands lower slightly.

"Care to tell me the truth now?"

She wipes at the endless stream of tears on her face. "My name is Elizabeth Doe. I dropped out of high school. I worked two dead end jobs in a small town. I have no family."

He's about to make another comment about her having a longer nose than a certain wooden puppet, but she continues.

"I noticed the raptors weren't being fed." Her teary-eyed gaze is on him. There's something different in her look, something innocent in her glossy eyes that show she's being mostly honest. "So, I brought them meat. I used to deal with people who had low blood sugar and I saw that in you."

Owen's brow quirks. "Why didn't you tell me yourself?"

She huffs a soft not-so-funny laugh and shakes her head. "I'm a high school dropout. No one is going to listen to anything I say. Benji has all these degrees—"

"Benji?"

Doe nods. "Well, you call him Ben. But, Benji has finished school, gone to college, and everything I haven't. What he says has weight. What he says… matters. Like I said, no one is going to care what a high school dropout says, especially if I'm a girl. Most people assume I got knocked up anyhow."

"Why did you take care of me when I was injured? How did you accomplish that?"

She takes a soft breath and wipes away any remaining tears. "InGen needed someone. Mr. Durant had a lot on his plate, so they asked me."

Owen finds himself skeptical at that one. Why would InGen send her? However, she seems to be open to telling him things now and he doesn't want to ruin that.

"Then, last night I went to the raptor paddock, and you were there," she says. "Very drunk."

His brow rises. This is news. He doesn't remember being there and doesn't know if he wants to believe what she says. "What?"

"You were at the raptor paddock late last night. I'm pretty certain you were Tequila."

"I was Tequila?"

She nods. "You didn't just reek of it, but it seemed like it was radiating from every part of your body. It was horrid and made it hard to get you home."

Owen doesn't know what to make of this revelation, but it's clear something happened. He's slightly overwhelmed by the things she's told him. They sound true enough.

Well, except her name. He doesn't believe that for one moment, but he knows how to take care of that.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _—One Night Earlier—_

 _The soft, rich dirt more muffles the footsteps than anything._

 _The night air is cool and refreshing. It caresses the face, somehow weaving its way into the dark fabric causing goosebumps to appear on smooth skin. The moon has disappeared leaving the stars bright in the sky while signaling that dawn is only a few hours off._

 _There's a silent question that seems to be screaming how the raptors are managing their first night out of the cages._

 _The cows delivered earlier were done grudgingly so; she knows that much. In light of her past, she knows InGen exceedingly well. She knows Hoskins will not be happy with the cattle developments._

 _However, the raptors will, and at this moment, that's what's most important. If it spares lives later on down the path, that's what truly matters._

 _Benji was foolish, stupid even. How many times did Owen Grady reiterate that they needed to stay_ _ **away**_ _from the fence? It wasn't that hard to comply with. It was protecting them. While she likes Benji, if he dies that's not on her. She did everything she could to pull him from Echo's claws. In fact, she hurt herself in the process. If—when—Benji returns, he owes her big time._

 _As she nears the raptor paddock, she notices a figure at the gate. Panic chills her bones in ways that the cool night air never could. With a heart racing as fast as a sprinting quarter horse, she ducks into the shadows. If it's InGen, she knows the trouble it could bring._

 _The pounding in her ears softens enough that a drunken lullaby can be heard. The lyrics are clearly from The Five Stairsteps' famous song. The melody, however, is clearly from a karaoke bar._

 _She begins her approach again. The area is dark, but the swaying figure when paired with the voice is certainly Owen Grady. He's singing to the blue-grey raptor on the other side of the fence._

 _Blue sneezes; an odd sound, not unlike that of a…human? She thinks that's crazy but the truth. It makes her wonder what other DNA they added into the poor creature's makeup._

 _The raptor shakes her head and looks at her alpha. He reaches toward her and says he's sorry for not being there. The ache in the depth of his voice is heartbreaking. He explains how InGen gives him no choice. He wants his Blue, his baby girl, to be free._

 _There's a good chance when considering the amount of Tequila he's clearly had he might let all four of them out. Before that thought crosses his mind, she reaches him. He turns to her and squints. Of course he's unable to see her, and she counts her lucky stars. Even if he could see beneath the dark hood, she wonders if he would recognize her with his blurry-eyed stare._

 _"Let's go, Mr. Grady," she says softly and leads him from the paddock. There's a glance that she gives to Blue who seems relieved someone is taking care of her alpha._

 _"It's my fault…" he whimpers._

 _She leads him to a golf cart. Normally, she'd take a faster vehicle, but she doesn't want to be caught by loud engine noises. It's also probably best that no one discover just how drunk Owen Grady is. A deep breath fills her lungs and she chokes down the scent of Tequila. "What is your fault?"_

 _"The attacks. Ben's injuries. This paddock," he says. "If I had just said no, if I hadn't taken the job, people wouldn't have died."_

 _"That's the funny thing about this purgatory. It doesn't stop if you say no," she says and she's certain she's talking more to herself than the drunk man next to her. How many times had—_ _ **has**_ _—she said no? How many times did they track her and throw her back into hell? How many times did she have to play dead in order to escape, only to get sucked into the fray?_

 _But that's just it._

 _Even if Owen Grady had told the Navy no, that wouldn't have stopped InGen. At most, they might have found someone else, but that's not how they operate. No, they stacked the cards from the beginning. They make sure you're primed and ready. They make sure the only answer you'll give them is yes._

 _That's why Owen Grady lost his fiancée. That's why Owen Grady's commanding officer betrayed him. That's why Owen Grady isn't allowed to touch Blue anymore._

 _InGen has made sure he'll stay exactly where they want him._

* * *

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	16. Paralyze

_The curator would like to say a special thank you for staying around during the slower updates. She is trying not to fail school while scraping for money, since times are tough._

 _Thank you for your comments. They are much appreciated and help keep the park running._

 _Thank you for your time._

 _ **Welcome...to the Nothingness**_

 _Chapter 15_

 **Paralyze**

* * *

The territory is quiet as I stir. The sky is still dark and the little suns are winking goodnight as they fade into the dark blue sky. I shift slightly and slide out from under Charlie and away from Delta who's sleeping back to back with me.

Slipping from the rock, I quietly make my way into the bushes. It isn't long before my legs are making long strides with the wind whipping past my face. I've lapped the large territory three times before the first rays of the sun reach me. I'm in my fourth lap, when Echo takes a spot on my left flank. A soft snort leaves my nostrils as I speed up. I can't stop the small twitch in my lips as she matches my speed.

The sun is just beginning to peek over the surrounding rock as I turn for the watering hole. Echo slides up beside me to take a drink. A smile plays on my lips as I push her in.

Echo sputters as her head pops above the water. "Blue…?"

I take a drink as she moves closer. Falling back on my haunches a soft sigh leaves my lips. "You seem happier."

Echo leaps out of the water and lands next to me. She gives a soft nod before nudging me. "Except the fleshlings still worry me."

First Delta and now Echo. Is there something I'm missing? "Why?"

She looks around the area and lowers her body towards the ground. "They won't let us outside of the territory. Why? Why are we forced to stay here?"

Am I the only one who hasn't seen this? Does Charlie think these same things? After some of the things she's growled, I wouldn't be surprised. I take a breath. "Do you understand what the fleshlings growl?"

Echo shakes her head.

Something about that calms me. It means that Delta's idea that Echo's hatch mate could understand isn't a possibility. That means the red fleshling couldn't have—

"Gopher could."

My brow rises. "Who's Gopher?"

"My hatch mate," she answers. "Just like Charlie's Foxtrot, she knew what the fleshlings were snarling. She would stand near the window while the red fleshing growled. What sounded like nonsense to me, meant something to her."

There's been one in every hatching, then. Does this mean Delta is really trying to kill me? Would she kill us?

I blink. Do the fleshlings want her dead? The other two didn't survive. If they plan on killing Delta, they'll have to get through me. Sadly, the only being who could give me an answer doesn't know how to communicate with us. He doesn't even seem to care.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen stands there gazing. The cool morning wraps around his skin, but he's unaware. The cage blurs together. He thinks he's sleeping with his eyes open, since lately he studies his ceiling instead of the inside of his eyelids. Then again, he doesn't even feel tired.

He used to feel that every time he took a step forward, he fell ten back. While he grew up hearing that marriage was the ol' ball and chain. If that's a fact, then he was married to depression—which was sad, since he didn't get a night of good times or even a piece of cake for it.

Like a sadistic lover, depression just screwed him over time and time again as it came to bed. Each time it was done with him, he'd find himself deeper in a hole. He'd find himself in a darker place. He'd find himself more removed from the world.

But at least he knew what he was getting when it came to call. He knew what to expect as it constricted around him. It wasn't completely normal, but he had heard it could be a part of life, though it did nothing for his sanity.

Now…

Now, he feels nothing. He's not hungry. He's not tired. He's not sad. Owen does his job, keeps the staff safe, and eats enough to keep Doe from feeding him Jolly Ranchers. He knows when to smile—like when Ben returned. He knows how to explain to the crowds how the raptors work. And he knows how to make deals—like finally allowing Hoskins access to the assets.

This is what InGen wanted anyway, right? This is what he was hired for. He was hired to train dinosaurs, not to care for them or love them. He's been a fool; something the Navy never would have tolerated.

"She misses you."

Owen startles and turns to find Doe on the other side of the fence. Her arms are threaded through the bars and she's staring at the silent enclosure beyond the second gate.

Without his knowledge, his arms cross. Somewhere in the nothing around him, he knows the air is thick with tension. He hasn't spoken to her—and why should he? She's just short of a mixed bag of nuts. He doesn't know why she hasn't quit.

His voice is distant in his own ears when he speaks. "Raptors don't feel."

Her gaze shifts to him and she blinks. "Perhaps."

He finds himself checking his phone as his chest clenches. Several days ago, he placed a call to his old C.O.—who clearly owes him a favor after the fiancée fiasco—in an attempt to find out who Doe actually is. He still doesn't understand her motives. He barely grunts at her in response.

"Or perhaps InGen wants you to believe that."

His brow scrunches, but he doesn't respond. Doesn't she ever tire of her game? He hears the buzz as she lets herself into the entryway.

"You can't even fight?" she questions as she learns against the barred wall to his left. "You can't say anything?"

What's the point? He's going to fire her. By her attitude and comments, he's done with it. He can't take her ambiguity and lies.

A soft sigh leaves her lips and she nods her head. "They paralyzed you."

He wonders how long it will take her to pack her stuff.

"Have you realized it, yet?" Doe questions. "When was the last time you took a breath? When was the last time you slept? When was the last time you looked at your employees?"

His hands ball into fists. She needs to get her nose out of his business. She's been too involved. She's been too close to the situation.

"When was the last time you sang to Blue?"

His eyes widen. Owen's chest seems to crack. He places his hands against it, searching for what cut him. Did she just stab him?

"Are you ashamed of loving your baby girl?"

His breath catches and his lip trembles. The tearing is coming from inside his chest and he can't stop it. Owen looks at Doe. "I…"

There is no response. Instead, two soft eyes watch him. There's a slight downward tilt to her lips, but it's not condescending. It's not accusatory. It's understanding.

A breath fills his lungs as his shoulders relax. His chest expands. Owen realizes he doesn't have to say a word, and he's grateful since he can't seem to find a syllable. She's been down the dark path he suddenly feels lost on.

"You allowed InGen to get to you," she says softly. "A lot of people have been there. Most never escape. They never want to."

He tries to form a sentence. There are questions brewing beneath the surface, but none get past the tip of his tongue.

"They're in the business of making money and killers. They only want death and destruction. They will do anything to see this mission succeed."

A thought crosses his mind and he can't help as it blossoms. She seems to have a healthy amount of fear for InGen, yet she's there. It makes him question why. However, it also makes him wonder if she's just trying to save the creatures. But that's not the thought taking root in his mind.

No, Owen wonders if Elizabeth Doe changed her name and she's running from InGen. If that's the truth, then why is she standing in front of him?

Her attention is momentarily drawn by something from inside the raptor paddock. Doe looks back at him. "Blue misses you."

Turning, Owen finds Blue feet from him. Her heard is slightly tilted as her nostrils flare. The look in her gaze is not aggressive. There's a sadness there. There's a question there. He wonders what she would say if given the power to speak.

Blue's glance flicks to his left and she snarls before disappearing into the undergrowth again.

"I knew these beasts would be a good investment."

 _Shit._ Owen tenses. During his paralysis he made mistakes and one of them is coming back to bite him in the ass.

"When do we field test?"

Owen swallows roughly as he turns to the left to see Hoskins approach. "I think I jumped the gun."

Hoskins chuckles, but there's no humor. "You've had these beasts for a year—"

"I've only had the oldest a year, and I'm lucky if they even enter the viewing area," he responds and can feel his heartrate rise. Owen knows he has to get it under control and send Hoskins running, but his emotions are a whirlwind. The only thing he knows is that he has to protect his girls.

"You surprisingly sent me a report," the man responds. "It was detailed enough for us to know we need to put down the brown one and the other three should recognize you as an alpha again."

"You can't just kill Echo!" he snaps and blinks. His emotions are starting to boil over like when he forgets about the macaroni water on the stove. He questions if this is part of the process in overcoming the numbing he went through. "She is part of the pack. You kill her and you risk the others' retribution."

"Then you get those beasts used to working without her."

"They're a pack. You can't separate them."

"And you can't change that one. So, decide." Hoskins' crosses his arm. "If not, I'll find a new raptor trainer and start over."

Owen's teeth sink into his lip and he can taste blood. As he watches Hoskins leave, there's loud shrieks from the paddock, and he knows things have to change.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

My heart is racing as I study the large fleshling from the bushes. I watch as he puffs his chest out—like when I asserted dominance over Echo in the past. He's trying to intimidate Alpha, and I wonder if he will succeed.

Echo growl sounds in my left ear. "He's horrible."

A wave of panic from her overwhelms me, and I turn to her. Her eyes are slits, her breath comes in spurts. Claws patter on the ground as her tail swishes from side to side.

I lean forward and touch my nose to her shoulder.

Echo tenses before looking at me. "I've seen him once…before I saw my first full moon. He paid attention to Gopher—growled things to her, fed her, bared his teeth…"

"And now he wants to kill _her_."

I spin around to find Delta's narrow eyes observing the large fleshling and Alpha. Her tail is stiff and her teeth are bared. Charlie nestles herself against my right haunch. Her entire body is shaking.

"He wants Echo dead," she snarls. "Or Alpha goes."

Echo shrinks away from us and cowers to the ground. Charlie whimpers and nudges my leg.

My talon taps against the ground. Moving from Charlie, I bare my teeth as I stand over Echo, gaze on her. Shuddering, she curls into a ball and exposes her neck. My tail swishes as my jaws open with a shriek.

"Then he'll have to kill us all!" I turn to Delta. "I will not allow the fleshlings to kill _any_ of us! _Even_ if that means we lose Alpha."

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

"How do I fix it?"

Her brow furrows slightly as she rubs a heavy lidded eye. "What?"

"You said Blue misses me," Owen tells Doe. He taps his foot. There has to be a way to save Echo. If he can show Hoskins that they can work as a pack, maybe his four girls can be safe. In order to attempt this, he has to mend impossible bridges with his baby girl. "How do I fix what happened with me and Blue?"

"Blue and me," she mutters and leans her head against the door frame. He watches her body sag slightly and reaches out to poke her before freezing as she continues. "Part of the DNA in Blue comes from the Black-Throated African Monitor Lizard. You can keep them as pets."

He shakes his head. "And?"

She pushes herself away from the door frame and yawns before casting a glance to the clock which reads 2:15 AM. "They are very similar to dogs when given proper care. There's a reward for the attention and love you give to them. Their demeanor is gentle, calm, and often times they are very quiet.

"However, they become aggressive—hostile—if they are not frequently handled," she says and blinks slowly. "Owners go for walks with their monitor. It provides them with another opportunity to get exercise and enjoy the sunlight."

Owen crosses his arms. "So, how do I stop Blue from being hostile? I can't exactly walk her around the park anymore."

Doe slips on a pair of flip flops as she exits with him following. She shuts the door and walks to the stairs. "That's easier said than done."

"Where are you going this late? We're having a conversation and the park is closed."

Doe reaches the bottom of the stairs and turns toward him. "You woke me up. Clearly, this is important to you. You don't want InGen to succeed, so, we're going to the paddock."

Leaning against the wall, Owen looks at her. She's struggling to throw her hair in a messy bun and only succeeds in half the battle as the majority of the left side rests on her shoulder and back. He isn't sure if she knows her shoes are on backward yet, nor that she's in fox pajama pants and ready to go face killer dinosaurs.

"Are you coming, or not?" she questions and leans against the wall.

Owen takes a breath and leads her to the Jeep. Opening the door, he watches as she climbs in. He then climbs in on the driver's side. Again, he can't help but feel as if she has intimate details of InGen. She knows so much about them and possibly their creations—much more than he's ever learned about Blue in all his time with her.

By the time they reach the paddock, she's passed out against the seat. Perhaps he should have brought her coffee. Climbing out, he walks to her side of the car.

"Doe?" he calls, but she doesn't move. He shoves her gently. "Elizabeth?"

Her body tenses as she gasps and looks around. She doesn't say much, but Owen can see she's trying to figure out where she is.

"Raptor paddock, remember?" he questions.

Her brow furrows as her eyes dart around the darkened place. It takes a few moments but she finally nods and climbs out. Rubbing her shoulders, Doe walks to the guard room and opens it.

Owen feels as if he should be surprised to see Kevin the guard sleeping. It helps shine some light on how Doe was able to feed Blue without problem.

Doe snaps her fingers and Kevin leaps out of his chair mid-snore. His wide eyes settle on them. "Mr. Grady, I'm so sorry—"

"It's Owen, and don't worry about it." He's too curious to care at the moment, anyway. Doe is typing on one of the computers and he watches as a buzzard sounds and three of the raptors make their way to their pens.

He moves next to her. "What are they doing?"

"Please don't tell anyone," Doe says with a wave to Kevin whose cheeks are cherry red as he keeps stuttering sorry. Exiting, Doe leads him to the paddock and looks at him. "Three of them are in their cages. Giving you the chance to greet Blue on your own."

He shakes his head. "She'll eat me."

Doe shrugs. "You wanted me to help you fix things."

"Not by doing something stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Yeah, this idea is stupid," Owen says and crosses his arms. There is no way he's going to waltz into the paddock. He knows he'll be eaten alive. "These are vicious, intelligent creatures that will kill as soon as they have a chance."

"According to InGen," she counters and her eyes are now fully opened. "However, InGen seemed to overlook the fact Blue saved you from a starving Echo."

And that point means something to him. Blue saved him from a starving Echo—so should he even blame Echo? Well, Blue was starving and she didn't attack him, but he's spent more time with his girl than the others. Perhaps that's why she stopped the attack.

But he realizes that's not even the point Doe's trying to make. The fact is Blue protected him. Blue saved him and risked her own life to do so. She had the chance to kill and chose to attack Echo instead. Maybe his girl really does care for him. And if his girl does care than all the pain he's been feeling, she's most likely been feeling, too. If she's like the Black-Throated Monitor than she's been snappy because he hasn't spent any time with her. Maybe going in there will help both of them.

Owen presses the gate release. "If I die, I will be back to kill you."

* * *

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	17. Clearly His First Rodeo

_The curator is currently trying not to fail school. Thank you for sticking around._

 _Please forgive an errors you see. Also, please inform the curator of any errors you see._

 _Your comments are very much appreciated and help keep the park running. They are very encouraging to read._

 _ **Welcome...to the Attempt**_

 _Chapter 16_

 **Clearly His First Rodeo**

* * *

I wait in my cave for the rock to close. My tail swishes as I look to the top. My head tilts to the side. The cave remains open. Why isn't it closing? Why hasn't it shut? Why is it that my sisters have been called and closed in for the night, yet I am left?

My muscles tense. This must be what Delta and Echo were talking about. The fleshlings are trying to kill us. I'm surprised they forgot to shut me away.

Pity for them.

The loud snarl sounds at the large jaws. They must be attacking from there. It has to be Delta they're after. She's the only one who can understand them. She could give us information on what they plan to do. I cannot let them attack her. I cannot let them anywhere near my sisters.

My talons plunge me silently into the bushes without a sound. The leaves caress my skin as I rush past. They seem to whisper encouragements of what's to come. My claws flex as they ready for the flesh they'll dig into. My teeth are prepared for the flesh they'll rip into. My nose twitches to see how many fleshlings I'll face.

As the breeze slides into my nose, my body betrays me. I find myself as still as the rocks that surround my territory. The leaves provide cover, yet allow me to study the large jaws.

No.

What stands before me is most certainly a trick.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _I have got to be the dumbest guy on the planet_ , Owen thinks as he stands, unarmed, in the raptor paddock. He's pretty sure _tasty jackass_ is written across his forehead. Even though three of the four raptors are locked away, one raptor can easily take out an entire Marine squad. Perhaps this is how he'll die.

His gaze is on the brush because he knows without a doubt Blue is hiding within. She's smart, calculating, and probably devising a way to eat him as he thinks. Owen misses the days when she attacked before she thought. It saved him on a number of occasions.

The fact Blue is weighing her options from the brush puts his nerves on edge. During all his years in the Navy, he's never witnessed anything as intelligent as the creature which hides before him. Terrorists, soldiers, and even admirals have never played the game as well as this predator. People think their actions through to an extent, but often times miss little things here or there.

The velociraptor does not.

He takes a breath to steady his nerves. "Bl—"

There's no shriek. By the time the rustling of the leaves reaches his ears, he's pinned to the ground with the wind knocked out of him. Teeth gleaming in the moonlight become the only thing he can see as hot breath seems to scorch his face.

"Blue?" Owen manages to choke out.

He grimaces as he feels a claw slice into his shirt and nick his shoulder. Talons on his chest slowly constrict his airway, however, it's very deliberate that she's not ready to disembowel him since the talon doesn't cut. A soft growl comes from her throat, but stops as her head snaps up.

Blue's foot shoves into his chest softly as if she's telling him to stay put. In the next moment, he's gasping and coughing as her foot releases. Rolling to his side, he does all he can to fill his lungs with fresh air.

Looking up, Owen sees Blue approaching the open gate. He knows she can only get into the entryway. What has her so curi—

"Doe," he exhales with widened eyes. _Oh God…_

He forgot to tell her to shut the door. Now who had the stupid idea?

Owen can't pull himself to his feet in time to stop Blue, nor can he get his lips to shout her name. He's helpless as she charges.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Alpha stands watching the bushes where I'm hidden. Has he come to kill us one at a time? Has the large fleshling sent him to destroy us? Has Alpha been our attacker all along?

With the scent of Meat Bringer lingering near, I am most certain this is the truth. They are here to kill us, starting with me. Alpha knows me too well. He knows I will protect my sisters at all costs. He must also know I will not go down without a fight. I will not let them be the death of us.

It is Alpha I will attack first since he does not carry a lightning stick. I will let them think I haven't smelled Meat Bringer. My gaze settles on her inside the metal jaws. She holds no lightning stick which will make this easy. Once he is down, I will lunge for Meat Bringer and rip her throat out.

My muscles shift and I'm flying through the bushes. In moments, Alpha is beneath me. A low growl develops in my throat as my foot holds him down. A claw settles on his arm. He whimpers softly. His death will be quick for if I think too much I might not kill him.

There's a clatter in the distance and I look up to see the cave where furry white meats come from rolling at Meat Bringer's talons. Was she trying to attack me? Since Alpha holds no threat, I will have to kill her first.

I shove Alpha into the ground with my talon before trotting toward the jaws. Meat Bringer doesn't move, but I can hear her heart racing. There's a healthy amount of fear radiating from her.

Good.

I lick my jaws. She deserves to pay for what she's trying to do.

My ears catch Alpha struggling to breathe. I snort and try to focus on what's before me. Sadness creeps into my bones. He shouldn't have been hurt. He didn't attack me. But, he did speak with the large fleshling who commands him. I cannot allow Alpha to kill my sisters or I.

Meat Bringer does not see my muscle shift as I rush her. She won't have time to shriek as my teeth slash her throat. What I don't understand is why she doesn't even try to move. Instead, she holds her claws up near her head.

Skidding to a stop, I look at her through the dust. She's coughing, but remains frozen. Her gaze is on me. While I hear her racing heart and scent the fear radiating from within, there is no hint of it in her eyes. No, the only thing I see is something I've seen in Charlie lately.

Determination and boldness.

I glance to Alpha, who's trying to stand, before turning back to Meat Bringer.

My head turns to the side as I relax.

They cannot hurt me. They know they would have been foolish to try.

Alpha growls from behind. Meat Bringer does not respond. Her gaze remains on me. I do not understand fleshlings. They are a curious creature. I know that I am dangerous. I know I am a hunter. I know that I am terrifying.

Fleshlings are not like that. Some are terrifying. All are weak. Some come to bring pain.

Meat Bringer brings meat.

Alpha gives meat sticks and orange crunches.

Fleshlings are confusing for none are similar.

Alpha growls a second time and this time Meat Bringer responds. She still doesn't look at him, though. Despite his soft growls to her, I recognize what she is doing. She is not challenging me, there is no anger in her eyes. I lean closer and sniff her which confirms my thought.

Meat Bringer is letting me know she is not a threat.

I turn to Alpha with narrowed eyes. My brow lifts slightly. If he is not here to hurt me, why is he here? He hasn't been around, hasn't spent any time with me. He left me in this forsaken place.

Alpha is offering me the meat stick and that's not something I can pass up. It's been a while since I've had one. I snatch it from his claws and toss my head back. The taste warms my mouth as it slides to the creature in my stomach. While I love the meat we've gotten lately, nothing beats a meat stick. But that makes me wonder…

Why has Alpha been so distant? If he still cares about me, why is he so far? And is this him trying to fix that?

I glance to Meat Bringer. She has always helped me. Perhaps she is trying to help Alpha fix this issue. I look at Alpha and snort. If that's the case, he has a lot to make up for. My lip twitches, revealing sharp teeth. Can he really be back?

"You have a lot to make up for, Alpha," I growl and head butt him into the jaws behind him before heading into the bushes.

He hasn't been around very much, and he let the large fleshling threaten Echo. I wonder if he is serious about actually coming around again.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

There's a whirlwind of dirt that floods the entryway, and Owen the dark he can't tell what's going on. There are no snarls or screams which make him even more nervous.

By the time he's reached the gate, the dust has settled enough for him to see that Blue is studying Doe. His girl tilts her head slightly from side to side as her muscles unwind.

"Doe?" he questions softly. He isn't surprised she doesn't acknowledge him. She's in a staring contest for her life. What worries him is she isn't breathing or shaking. She's frozen solid. Owen takes a step closer. "Elizabeth?"

Her shoulders rise gently with a breath and a whisper follows. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to get you out of here," he replies softly and reaches into his pocket.

Taking out a piece of jerky, he opens it. Pulling it from the wrapper, Owen holds it up. "Blue. Here, Blue."

The silence that floods the entryway is unnerving. If his girl is playing a mind game, then it is extremely fucked up. It also means that InGen has created creatures they could never hope to control. That is a scary thought to swallow.

"Blue, here's jerky," he says.

His girl leans closer to Doe and sniffs before turning to him. Her eyes are narrow as her brow lifts. Owen can't remember the last time he's seen her so untrusting. On the other hand, he doesn't remember the last time he's been so untrusting of her.

Boy, InGen has screwed both of them up.

Blue glances to the jerky and to him. He watches in slow motion as she snatches the jerky from him. She tosses her head back as she devours it in one bite. Her nostrils twitch and he hears her exhale slowly. With a glance to Doe, she snorts at Owen. Her lip twitches to reveal her teeth. In the next instant, she head butts him into the bars with a growl before slowly exiting the entryway and disappearing into the bushes.

Owen closes the cage door before sliding against the wall to the ground. His eyes close and he attempts to catch his breath.

What was he thinking? Doe's idea was stupid. It almost got them both killed. How could he have agreed to something so foolish?

Movement next to him catches his attention in enough time for him to see Doe fall to her knees as she breathes slowly in and out. Her eyes close and her fingers dig into the wood chips surrounding them.

"Hey," he says softly. "Doe?"

What hair she did manage to put up in a bun slides out of the hair tie as her head meets the ground. Her sides softly heave every few minutes.

"Elizabeth," Owen says and can understand why she's crying. "We… we made it. We're alive. It's okay."

When she looks at him, he's shocked to see her dry face. Instead, there's a soft smile and she's chuckling.

"Are you okay?" He begins to worry maybe he needs to get her a strait jacket. No one comes out of a life or death situation and laughs like that.

She shifts to sit with her back against the bars. "She's confused."

His brow furrows. "Blue just tried to kill us."

Doe shakes her head. "She definitely considered killing us—like when she pinned you to the ground, but she didn't. Apart from the cut on your shoulder, she didn't follow through with killing."

Owen lets out a small breath. Knowing he could have died doesn't make things any better.

"InGen hasn't rewired her thinking," Doe says. "Which means she still sees you as Alpha."

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

A catnap is required before showering and heading back to the paddock for work, except she feels too tired to even try. Her brain is going at a million sluggish miles an hour; she's not even sure she's capable of making it up the steps.

Perhaps she's more than a bit foolish on her end. Perhaps this will all end in death. Perhaps she should have ran while she had the chance.

Most people would have fled. Facing an evil such as InGen is not something that should be done lightly. Besides they've put more people in the ground than she's been able to count. If they have their way, the raptors will help them accomplish the task sooner.

Not that InGen is looking to take over the world. Far from it. They just want to run it from behind the scenes, and with their gene splicing, well, it won't be long.

One step at a time, though. She changed her name to keep herself safe. She's already gotten into Jurassic World, despite her better judgement. The next step is Grady and his raptor pack.

She barely opens the door before someone places a hand over her mouth and shoves her inside. Fear floods her veins and stops any flight signals her brain is giving out. Tears form in her eyes as she knows InGen's found her.

The grip on her mouth releases allowing her to back away. Air floods her lungs as she prepares to scream at the dark haired man before her.

"What are you doing here?" he whispers.

The glasses completely threw her off, but there's no mistaken that voice. Her eyes widen as a gasp escapes her lips.

"Lowery?"

* * *

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	18. Sing

_Thank you for your patience. The park is slowly growing. In order to continue this attraction, school work does need to be finished, otherwise the park closes for good._

 _Thank you for holding on._

 _Please keep your arms and legs inside the tram at all times._

 _ **Welcome...to the Change**_

 _Chapter 17_

 **Sing**

* * *

"She is crazy."

Owen shrugs, but can't wipe the smile off his face for anything. "She might be, but you should have seen it, Barry."

"You want me to observe your death?"

With a glance around at the crowd, Owen leans against the glass and looks down at Blue. She's gazing at him with a slightly turned head. "It's a crazy idea, I'll give you that, but it worked. Blue didn't eat us."

"This time," Barry points out as he moves beside Owen. "You never know what will happen next time. Do not be foolish, Owen."

"What if you could place a hand on Delta without a muzzle or bars in the way? Just like old times." He looks at Barry. "What would you give?"

"Not a human life."

Somewhere inside, he knows Barry is probably right—the man has never lead him astray before. In this case, though, Owen doesn't agree. He knows the raptor looking at him can be vicious and has shown her cunning intelligence, but the baby that he took to the hockey game all those months ago is still inside.

"You're wrong," he says quietly. "You're wrong, Barry, and I'll prove it to you."

Blue continues to gaze at him, head turning back and forth. He imagines she's probably wondering what last night was all about. He's wondering the same thing to be honest. While Barry's warning snuggles into a spot in the back of his head, Owen's desire to touch Blue again far outweighs anything else.

Blue's gaze darts to her left, and she settles back on her haunches. Owen turns his attention in that direction to see Echo charge and leap. She hits the glass, talons first, and the crowd shrieks. Blue's gaze glances to the people and back to Echo who's prancing toward the back of the enclosure. Once there, she charges the glass again, hitting it with her talons and landing on her feet. The people scream again and move further back.

Owen can't keep the grin off his face as Delta and Charlie emerge from the bush. They take spots next to Blue and watch as Echo continues prancing.

"They are dangerous, Owen."

He shakes his head and smiles at Echo. "She's playing."

Echo pauses to stretch her neck and make herself appear taller. In that moment, Owen sees she's no longer as brown as she once was. She's developed blue stripes along her body, and he would bet it's in response to her submissiveness to Blue.

He has to admit; the color looks nice on her.

And it's also another reason they can't kill her.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Would he really want me? Can he really want me? Does he really want me? The look on his face is something I haven't seen since…

Well, a long time.

The look in his eyes and the way his snout slightly curves are things I haven't seen since I was in the Hatchling Territory. I'm hypnotized by my Alpha, captivated by his gaze—and terrified he'll leave me all over again. I'm terrified he'll harm my pack, terrified he'll kill Echo…

Shifting leaves catch my attention and I turn. Echo scratches the ground before charging the glass. I'm disappointed since she's done this before. She should know it's a ridiculous thing to do. It's surprising she hasn't learned her lesson.

When I look at her, though, she's not angry. There's a sly grin across her muzzle and a shimmer in her eyes.

Echo gains speed and launches herself at the clear rock. She shifts in air causing her talons to hit her target. The fleshlings beyond the clear rock screech and back up. As she falls, she shifts again, landing on her talons. Head held high, she trots back to her starting point.

I can't stop my chest from puffing out. Her game with the fleshlings strikes fear and yet nothing about her is intimidating. Echo is enjoying the rise she gets, and there's not a hint of anger in her. She's having fun.

"Is she causing trouble?" Delta questions as she takes a spot on my right.

Charlie settles on my left, chortling. "Blue, can I do that?"

I snort. "No, Char. Let Echo have her fun."

"Is it safe?" growls Delta.

"She's not hurting anything," I reply and my sister nods.

As Echo hits the wall again, I notice her skin gleam. There are now blue stripes across her body. I've never noticed them before. In fact, I know she was once all brown in color. The change must be similar to Charlie that as she grows her color shifts.

As she prances, Echo takes a moment to stretch and show her dominance over the fleshlings. I can't help but stretch and smile. She deserves this moment. She deserves to show off. She deserves to be happy.

I look to Alpha. He's watching Echo now. The look on his face is not angry. It makes me wonder what he thinks of Echo's display.

Echo's muzzle bumping into mine startles me. She moves in front of me and cocks her head softly to the right. "Are you mad?"

"At what?"

"Me?" she whimpers softly. "I know you said not to, but the fleshlings were just staring at us and it's not like I would have actually ate them had the rock broken."

Glancing to the clear rock, I turn and trot to the leaves with my sisters in tail. "I think it was a clever move, Echo. Perhaps they'll stay away now."

Her teeth are bared in a wide grin and she chirps softly.

Once we reach the bushes, I find a cozy spot against the warm rock. Circling twice, I settle onto the ground. My sisters curl next to me and Charlie nuzzles her head into my stomach.

As we drift into short sleeps, a warm feeling runs through my skin. It's nice to have my sisters around me. It's nice that we're not fighting. It's nice to feel at peace.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Hopefully, Kevin is happy with the large sandwich he was rewarded in exchange for his silence. Hopefully, he won't say a word about the asinine idea to go into the raptor paddock. Hopefully, his eye is turned to the frosty beer offered as an extra incentive.

Owen stands beyond the entry as the darkness envelopes him. He's about as excited as a kid on Christmas and yet he's terribly scared as well. What if Blue doesn't want to see him tonight? What if she wants to eat him? What if Elizabeth is wrong?

His foot taps impatiently against the dirt as he calls Doe again. He hasn't seen her all day. According to Barry, she called him and explained she had taken ill. Odd, because last night she had seemed fine—perhaps extremely tired when he dropped her off a few hours before sunrise.

When she doesn't answer, Owen slips the flip phone into his pocket and opens the first door to the cage, which he closes behind him. He's locked away his other three girls for safety reasons, but he can feel his heartbeat increase. Beyond the safety of the bars lurks a dangerous predator.

Perhaps there's a reason God decided to wipe them off the Earth all those years ago.

The buzzer sends his muscles into momentary panic as he tenses. He doesn't understand why. He's never been afraid of the paddock. He's always been able to walk in. He's always been able to look death in the face. Now, though, he seems glued to the spot. If Blue is close to the gate, she has an easy meal. Despite his brain shouting signals to his limbs, they prefer to stay as stiff as the Greek statues—except he gets to keep on all his clothes.

Before his brain can take command, a blue snout emerges from the bushes, followed by the rest of the body. Big, yellow eyes focus on him; head turning side to side. Slowly, the raptor studies him, lip slightly lifted to reveal gleaming teeth.

Her attention is pulled from him to something beyond the gate behind. She straightens up and trots over with a soft chirp.

"Odd your brain would choose now to be fearful. Maybe you're now realizing after Echo you're not as invincible as you thought?"

Owen turns to see Doe holding out a white rat to Blue who takes it and chomps away. "You think I'm scared?"

"I think you're uncertain. The excitement has passed and now you realize how stupid this seems." She moves towards him and holds a rat out.

Owen takes a breath as he reaches for the white dead thing. Holding it, he looks at Blue who's watching him.

"She hasn't killed you, yet."

Holding out the rat, he watches as her yellow eyes flick between him and the food. She takes a step closer, nostrils flaring. A soft hiss escapes her as she stretches forward, and grabs the rat before retreating to the other side of the bars.

His brow rises. "She didn't do that with you."

"I've been a constant source of food," Doe replies.

"But yesterday she asserted dominance."

"She still recognizes you as Alpha. And… you have been a source of confusion. She probably isn't sure what's going to happen tonight. You're rarely this close to her."

That's something he can't deny. Owen has been nothing but confusing. No wonder Blue swallows the rat from a spot near the bushes and watches him. He finds himself pulling a jerky stick from his pocket and unraveling it. Blue's tail swishes and she takes a few steps forward before stopping.

"You now seem like a tease."

With a shake of his head, Owen huffs a sigh and continues to hold the jerky out. "So, where were you today?"

"Didn't feel well."

He can hear it in her reply. It's too quick, too calculated. She's lying, and he isn't sure how much longer he can take it. "Funny. You were fine last night."

She crosses her arms. "I had one of those lack of sleep migraines I couldn't shake. I don't think it would have been wise for me to work considering we deal with deadly creatures."

Owen looks at her and bites the inside of his cheek. He knows she's dishonest and yet, he doesn't necessarily think she's untrustworthy. She seems to have Blue's best interests at heart, even though he still can't figure out why. He can't understand why she wants to help the dinosaur.

In this world, he's met very few people who actually care for the raptors—and by few, he means himself and Barry. Everyone he's come across are after two things: the money of working with the creatures and for them, or the military applications.

Doe, doesn't seem to fall into those categories and that worries him.

He clears his throat. "I don't need to lose another employee because they were careless."

A soft smile appears on her face. "Calling the kettle black now, are we?"

Owen turns back to see Blue at the gates. As soon as she makes eye contact with him, she flees to the bushes.

He throws his head back with a growl. "Damn it."

"You raised her, correct?"

Owen looks at her. "I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter—not that I would change it for the world, though."

"Did you ever call her something or say something to her and her only?" Doe asks and leans against the fence. "Do you have a certain voice you spoke to her with? A sound you would make?"

"Why?"

"Velociraptors are intelligent and do remember things. If you said things to her while she was a hatchling and you repeat them, she might come back around. She needs to know that you care. She needs to know that you still love her."

Owen can hear the reasoning in her words. He can hear some form of higher education learning. He wonders if she trained in psychology or perhaps biology. There's something hiding under her faux glasses and demeanor that hints she knows a lot more than she lets on. The longer he spends around her, the more that fact becomes apparent.

At the moment, though, things are about the raptor hiding in the bushes. Turning, Owen sees Blue poking her head out of the bushes. She looks adorable with her furrowed brow.

After wetting his lips, Owen softly starts in on a tune. " _Oooh, oooh, child, things are going to get easier…_ "

Blue emerges from the bushes and trots over. She stops several feet from him, head now bobbing up and down.

" _Oooh, oooh, child, things'll get brighter…_ "

The raptor snarls and charges him.

Owen swallows roughly and plants his feet. " _Some day, yeah, we'll walk in the rays of the beautiful sun…_ "

Blue skids to a halt and snorts at him. There's an irritated growl before she head-butts him. Owen stumbles backward. When he looks up, she's coming toward him again. This time, she snatches the jerky out of his hand and swallows it before settling back on her haunches.

The standoff that takes place puts Owen at peace oddly enough. He doesn't see anger in his little girl, he doesn't see dominance. Instead, she chirps at him with a nod of her head as if she's waiting for something. When he doesn't move, she snorts again and chirps, this time leaning forward.

Doe chuckles softly. "She wants you to keep singing."

He rubs the back of his neck and gives a nervous laugh. "Is that what you want? Do you want me to sing to you?"

Her brow lifts as she stares him down.

The grin that blooms on his face is one that hasn't been there in a long time. As he starts singing, Blue's muscles relax as she leans back on her haunches. He can almost see a smile on her face as her tail swishes forward around her talons.

Owen's shocked. Doe might not be honest, but she understands Blue—and probably him as well.

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	19. This Place is a Prison

_**Welcome...to the Ocean**_

 _Chapter 17_

 **This Place is a Prison**

* * *

Owen leans against the crisp, cool wall. His fingers gently trace the royal blue stripe around his girl's eye. The raptor shifts slightly, readjusting her head on his lap and snuggling closer to him. A soft coo leaves her lips.

"You can come inside the enclosure," he says with a glance toward Doe. "I'm pretty positive she won't attack you. You're kind of like Dr. Phil."

"It's amusing how you suddenly understand exactly what Blue thinks."

Turning his attention toward her, he gives a soft smile. She's sitting on a bucket just outside the entrance, wrapped in a light sweater. Doe's been there nightly giving him tips as he works on his "Blue bonding" as he's come to term it. Never once had she attempted to enter, and he isn't sure if it's because she wants Owen to work on his bonding, or because she's afraid Blue might attack her.

With his free hand, he scratches his chin. "Then you know she won't eat you."

"Most of the _attractions_ here won't eat you," she comments and her gaze shifts to the night sky. "Provided you respect them."

"You've visited other attractions? You're friends with other dinosaurs? Are we talking acquaintances or more like you're making friendship bracelets?" Owen pauses and his brow scrunches. "Wait… I wasn't respecting Echo?"

"With the noise from the machinery and the lack of food, it's not surprising one of them attacked. Stress does odd things to creatures…and people."

His fingers gently skim the surface of Blue's head. He can feel each indent of skin, each bump along her hide. Stress has affected them all. Taking a peek at Doe, he clears his throat, but his voice is still barely a whisper. "They want to put Echo down."

Her arms wrap around her stomach as she leans gently forward. He watches as she bites her lip and gazes at the ground. Again, he can't help but feel anger rising in her lack of answers.

"Why would InGen do that?" he prods. "These creatures are money makers."

Somewhere Owen hopes she'll take a hint. He's already decided this is her last chance at the truth. If she doesn't give him an answer tonight, he'll reassign her to another paddock. Doe clearly knows more than she lets on, and with his CO turning up empty leads on her, Owen has no other choice. Besides…

At some point doesn't she owe the truth to him?

Standing, Doe flips over the bucket. "Come. Let me show you something."

Blue rises. With a look at Doe, she trots into her paddock and disappears into the bushes.

Shaking his head, Owen rises to his feet. He was shocked the first few times Blue seemingly understood what Doe said. Now, he realizes the raptors are much more intelligent than InGen even understands. The company has no idea what they're truly dealing with. Releasing these creatures into a military setting would have disastrous results.

After closing the paddock gate, he opens and exit the entryway. Doe says not a word as she climbs into the X-terra and waits for him. Once he's hopped in and buckled up, she starts the engine and drives toward the park.

The stars twinkle down at Owen as he watches the night sky. He wonders if Blue is star gazing or sleeping. He knows that he should be doing the latter, but there are certain things that are more important in life.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The stars blink softly above my rock. There's a soft wind running over my skin, but the rock is warm. I've enjoyed my time with Alpha. After so long without him, it's nice to know he still cares. It's nice to know that he still loves me.

Despite being able to feel when Meat Bringer wants me to leave, I wish I could understand what they were saying. Sadly, only Delta is gifted with that. Too bad Alpha doesn't call her from her cage. Too bad Alpha doesn't spend time with her as well. Then she could translate…

Except I'm glad he doesn't call her. I don't want to share my moments with her. Alpha was mine first. Alpha has always spent the most time with me. I'm Alpha's beta.

Rolling over on my rock, I stare at the water below as it reflects the stars above.

Am I Alpha's beta? It doesn't always seem that way. He sings to me, but he doesn't run with us. He doesn't hunt. He's not in the bush giving orders to the pack. Perhaps he's not even one of us.

My tail curls toward my jaw. Should I even be listening to him if he's not one of us? My head shakes as I snort. Of course I should. He's still my Alpha.

Maybe Alpha doesn't mean what I think it means.

Maybe it actually means what Charlie thinks.

Maybe it means daddy.

Blinking, I take a large breath of sweet air. Charlie calls him Daddy. She still sees him as Alpha, so perhaps those words are one in the same. If that's the case, then he doesn't have to run with us. He doesn't have to hunt with us. He can just watch over us and love us like he already does.

And sometimes daddies make mistakes like when I attacked Echo. Sometimes daddies can't protect their hatchlings like they want to, like if I can't save Echo from the fleshlings. Sometimes daddies can't be with their hatchlings…

My eyes droop shut. Alpha has made mistakes, but he is a good daddy.

I wouldn't ask for any other.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen is completely baffled when Doe enters the Aquatic Park section. He knows there are a few things behind the scenes: baby trilobites, creepy sea scorpions, and the odd—and significantly stupid—baby basilosaurus. Apparently just having a mosasaurus is not enough these days. InGen always wants more.

However, he can't imagine that Doe is taking him to any of these unfinished attractions.

After making an internal bet with himself over the fact she will not give him a definite answer, he goes ahead and asks, "So, where are we headed?"

True to form, she continues on without a word. It's a curious thing that she seems to know how creatures work so well, and yet, she can be—is—extremely socially awkward. He can't pinpoint it, but he decides it has something to do with her past.

Doe brings the car to a halt in the back of the mosasaurus exhibit. After dropping his phone in a cup holder, Owen follows her lead as she hops out. Walking to a fridge, she opens it to reveal long objects wrapped in paper. She pulls one from the fridge and kicks the door closed.

As she moves into the light, Owen can see a fin sticking out the package and realizes it's a fish. Suddenly, it doesn't take her leading him past a vibrant, red sign screaming _danger_ and _restricted_ to figure out she's leading him to impending doom.

Descending the rock formation on the far side of the tank, she pauses at the bottom to unwrap the fish. Its oval body and black and yellow fins glimmering in the moonlight let him know it's a Blackfin tuna. Taking a step closer, he looks at its obsidian, lifeless eye.

A sudden panic rushes through his veins as he can see Echo. If she's killed by InGen…

Doe tossing the tuna into the water pulls his attention. He's thankful for the distraction. Watching it sink, he wonders how she's going to get the mosasaur to greet them—if its supposed to greet, or eat, them.

"You must enjoy living on the edge," he comments in an attempt to make small talk and take his mind further from the lifeless eyes. "Especially since this seems like a horrible plan."

Glancing over her shoulder, she gives a tiny shrug. "You have no faith in me."

"Can you blame me? I'm standing on the side of the tank like an hors d'oeuvres."

"Blue hasn't eaten you, has she?"

He really can't argue that. So, he takes a deep breath and moves closer.

The water gently laps the rocks creating a false sense of security. It's almost hypnotizing. The ripples seem to be drawn to him, beckoning him in only to be stopped by the stones he stands on. There's a peace about it, and he can feel his muscles relax.

Until an enormous set of jaws breaches the surface, and he's soaked from head to toe.

Owen's shoulders tense as arms splay outwards, dripping sea water. He finds himself spitting to get the salt out of his mouth. He can feel his face twist in disgust. That's always been a flavor he hated. After spending years out on the open ocean, he's only grown to hate it more.

Dropping his gaze, he sees Doe with biting her lip as she tries to gage his reaction. He can't help but give her a half-smile causing her to laugh.

"Sorry, I suppose I should have warned you." Standing, she can't seem to keep from laughing. It's something Owen's not sure he's ever witnessed from her. He's never seen her so happy.

Grabbing his hand, she pulls him toward the edge. Kneeling, she swishes her hand through the water and looks at him. Taking a breath, he watches as the mosasaur gently pops above the waves.

Slowly, it moves toward Doe. It comes to a stop next to her and allows her to run a hand over it. The moment reminds him of the movie _Free Willy_ , and it stuns him.

Owen's seen how vicious it can be; he's seen it pull down Great Whites from the line for the audience, knows its killed several employees. He's always heard the mosasaur is more dangerous than his raptors.

Yet there it floats, in front of Doe, just as docile as Blue. He knows he probably shouldn't be surprised. Doe has shown him that these creatures aren't what InGen says. There's more to them.

"This place…" Doe whispers, "is nothing but a prison."

Owen can see how that relates to the animals. Blue is being forced into a career she shouldn't be, the mosasaur is made to look like a murderer, and the T-Rex—the one who's been there since Hammond's original creation—is probably not as dull as it appears. He kneels next to Doe.

"May I?" he questions with a hand reached out.

With a nod, Doe looks at him. "Soni won't hurt you."

His brow quirks. "Soni? Like, Rebecca Soni? The Olympic swimmer?"

A soft smile graces her lips, and she looks away. Her hand runs over the mosasaur in long gentle strokes. "Yeah, no one else gave her a name. I figured since Soni had done so well when she competed and holds all those records, why not? The mosasaur is fast and graceful. I'm also sure she could earn herself a few Olympic medals like her namesake."

"Name fits her well, except I don't think Rebecca ate humans…" Owen's hand touches the mosasaur and it snorts before disappearing under the water. "Uh…"

Doe chuckles. "You offended her."

"Does she speak English?"

"No, she can't speak it," she replies and looks at him. "But she can understand. Some of the creatures here can. InGen doesn't realize this."

Owen should have placed a call to a shrink right then and there, but…her statement seems more like confirmation than crazy. With the way Delta watches them it wouldn't be insane to think that maybe she can understand every word being said. Perhaps that's why she gets along so well with Barry. He's the one that spends hours speaking softly to her.

Taking a deep breath, he looks at Doe. "You worked for InGen."

It isn't a question, and from the look on her face, she knows it.

Her gaze remains on the water, but he can see her lips purse in the pale light. The beams of the moon shimmer off the tears gathering in her eyes. Owen's struck a deep nerve—the kind that threatens to break you if you don't find a way to patch it. He can't tell if she's going to continue to deny what he already realizes, or…

"This place is a prison. Not just for these creatures, but for every worker here," she continues and clears her throat. "The further in they let you, the further into maximum security you go…and there is no hope of ever escaping."

Owen can see the patches she's placing over the nerve he exposed. He can't fault her. How many times has he done it? He runs his hands over his wet pant legs. "But you must have escaped, since your past is erased."

A bitter laugh escapes her lips. "By killing myself."

"So, you're a ghost?" he questions in an attempt to break the dark mood. Suddenly, he's unsure if he wants to know about her past. With each ticking second, the moon seems to grow darker and darker despite being nearly full.

She looks at him. "Do you trust them, Mr. Grady?"

"It's Owen."

"Do you trust them…Owen?"

He gives her a nod. "Barry."

"The others?"

He shrugs. "I'm supposed to. You're supposed to trust your team."

Doe shakes her head and looks down at the rock they're sitting on. "They're not your employees. They're not your friends. They're not even your coworkers. These people are only in it for themselves."

"How would you know what people are thinking? Are you psychic?" Owen questions with a narrowed gaze. Perhaps she is clinically insane.

"Tell me, _Owen_. What did you have left after Jessica left you?"

He can feel the blood drain from his face and Owen's nearly certain if he doesn't catch his breath, he's going to faint into the mosasaur's water. How does she know…?

"They take everything from you," she says. "Leave you with nothing, and then resurrect you by giving you a purpose to live again. It's a cycle they repeat. As soon as you believe you're safe, they rip the carpet out from under your feet."

And that's it.

He can't feel anything.

He can't breathe.

Owen's being suffocated by so many things. The air around him is gone. He's freezing. This is no longer just a prison, but he's on death row. His time has come. He's going to die. He never got to say goodbye to those he loved most. He never told his mom she was his solid ground, or that he loved his father despite their differences. He'll never get to see his nieces and nephews grow up. He'll never have real children or be married.

He'll never be able to make sure Blue is safe.

Because Doe is right.

Her words make him realize he something he didn't—couldn't—on his own.

InGen is not out for the good of everyone. They're simply evil incarnate.

* * *

 _The curator has been feeling a little down and out about these stories lately. Please forgive her._

 _Should you wish to switch things up for a bit during updates, please see_ ** _The Schrödinger Experiment._**

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	20. Suitcases

_The curator has been horribly overwhelmed and profusely apologizes for the long wait._

 _Thank you for your patience._

 ** _Welcome...to the Fear_**

 _Chapter 19_

 **Suitcases**

* * *

 _"Please, don't do this."_

 _He ignores the pleading. The point of begging has long since passed. There is no salvaging what she still views as a relationship. She demolished that bridge down the day she drove a knife into him, flaying him like the fish they feed the mosasaur…Soni._

 _"Please. I'm sorry."_

 _No amount of sorry will fix the fact he walked in on her screwing his CO. The image burns in his mind even now, and he finds his stomach churning. It makes him fumble as he ties up his duffle. How could someone who wanted to marry you turn around and betray you?_

 _"Owen…"_

 _The tiny hand on his arm feels more like a fly then a comfort, so it doesn't feel odd when he shrugs her off. Throwing his duffle over his shoulder, he makes for the door._

 _"Why won't you talk about this?"_

 _Pausing, he turns and looks at her. "There is nothing to talk about, Jess. I think you made it pretty clear how you felt. I think you've done an outstanding job establishing where this relationship will end. I don't think you need to speak anymore."_

 _Her face scrunches like it always does when she hears something she doesn't like. It's one of the few times her beauty becomes more…pug-like._

 _"If you weren't so busy—"_

 _"Let me stop you right there," he says and holds up a hand. Owen opens his mouth, but then shuts it. He realizes this entire fight is not worth it. What he says is not going to change anything that's transpired. He can't forget, nor can he go on with an apology. It's a tragedy, but that's how the cards fall._

 _He exits the tiny home. The first place he ever bought and paid for. The place he thought he would start a family. Instead, it became the first place he realized life never works out like you plan._

 _Owen walks down the path and to his little Geo Metro. It's crappy and an ugly yellow in color, but it will get him from point A to point B just like he wants. The sooner he gets away from the pain; the sooner he can move on._

 _At some point, he finds himself at the beach and walks the shore. The sand weaves itself between his toes as the salty breeze scratches his nose. His skin feels cold and wet._

 _The odd thing about the situation is he can't remember visiting the beach after leaving his house…_

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

"Are you planning on getting fired?"

Elizabeth startles and glances up to the rim of the paddock. Shaking her head, she's relieved to see it's only Lowery. Leaving Owen to his thoughts, she scrambles up the rocks.

"Why are you here?"

"I saw you on the monitors."

Moving next to him, she feels her brow scrunch together. "It's Wednesday. I thought they were off for maintenance."

"No, it changed last week. Security has tightened in light of the midnight raptor feedings. They're narrowing down who's spearheading this _"save the dinosaurs"_ movement," he replies with finger quotes for embellishment.

"It's not a movement," she comments with a roll of her eyes and rubs her face. She's not surprised InGen is trying to snuff it out. It would destroy everything they want for a park. Dinosaurs that aren't vicious don't sell tickets—or so InGen say. She sighs.

"Well, they don't like people fighting against them." Lowery looks behind her. "You brought the lead Raptor specialist out here? Are you nuts?"

There's probably part of her that is crazy. After all, she broke free of InGen only to reenter the lion's den. Running a hand through her hair, she crosses her arms and shrugs. "He needed some—"

"Water?" Lowery questions. "Because he seems to have taken a dip."

"What?" Turning, she doesn't see Owen. However, she has an idea of where he's run off to. "Shit!"

Skidding down the rocks, she trips and busts her knee open. A string of curses leaves her lips as she pushes herself to her feet and approaches the water. Taking a deep breath, she braces herself for the cold water, when Owen's body rises to the surface.

"Soni?" she says softly as the mosasaur pushes the body to her. After Elizabeth has taken a hold of him, Soni disappears into the depths.

Next thing she knows, Lowery's pulling Owen from her. "He's breathing. We have to get him somewhere dry."

Elizabeth nods as she continues to watch where the mosasaur was.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

 _He doesn't let anyone know how his heart is being ripped from his chest. He doesn't let anyone see that he cries himself to sleep at night. He doesn't let anyone in._

 _Days turn into months and it's not hard to pretend to be a zombie. They exist everywhere. When you walk in a grocery store, go to the bank, drive down the highway…you move past them constantly and barely notice. They're good at smiling. They're good at seeming engaged. They're just like you._

 _Maybe even been you at a certain time._

 _The zombie mask he's adopted is easy to keep up since so many others have bought the same one and no one notices they're all from the same manufacturer. No one hears that his laugh is a smidge off. No one sees that the look in his eyes is missing a spark. No one stops to think that he drinks a little more than he should._

 _He finds it easy to navigate his broken world held together with duct tape and tequila until InGen comes knocking on his door…_

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

It's the smell that wakes me.

The scent is different.

It's wrong.

My feet are beneath me in moments and I've disappeared into the bushes. It isn't long before I'm peering at the metal jaws. In the dark of the night, they seem to prowl. The fleshing probably thinks it's being quiet. Their heavy feet trample the wood chips.

My lips pull back to reveal teeth.

It's not Alpha and it's not Meat Bringer.

No, I've smelled this one before and I don't like it.

He's the heavy one with enough meat to keep me full for a few days. His eyes remind me of Echo's on a hunt. Focused, cold, determined…

I watch him now as he paces back and forth behind the bars. My tail swishes.

Let him enter. Let him challenge. He is not Alpha. He is not one of us. There is no place in our world where he can exist. Instead he tries to threaten and I will have none of it.

He's the one who said Echo was to die.

My gaze narrows.

Let him try to take her life.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

When he comes to, Owen doesn't recognize the green numbers on the clock. He also doesn't recognize the nightstand on which it sits. The blankets which wrap him snuggly in their grasp he fails to recognize as well.

The only thing he does seem to recognize is that it's 1:34 in the morning which means he must be alive.

Shifting, he sits up. While he feels like he just spent a decade underwater, he doesn't feel like he has a hangover. His head isn't throbbing, and while he's thirsty, he doesn't taste remnants of alcohol.

 _What the hell happened?_

A soft buzz on the nightstand has him reaching for his phone. Opening it, he sees a message from his old C.O. It takes him a few moments to read through the long message. As his eyes scan the lines, he finds a pit in his stomach growing larger and larger. The bigger the pit grows, the angrier he becomes and before long all he can see is red.

He drags himself from the bed and makes his way to the door. The living room on the other side he immediately recognizes along with the girl fast asleep on the couch.

"Haven?"

He waits a few moments before calling out louder. "Haven?"

She stirs and he watches as she rubs her eyes. Blinking, she looks around and her gaze settles on him. Her brow is furrowed as if she isn't quite sure where she is or what's going on. There's a moment where he feels his anger soften because she looks innocent. However, when he thinks of his Blue, he steels.

"Good morning, Haven."

"Wha…?"

He takes a few steps forward. "That's your name, isn't it? Haven Lancaster?"

She's up in a moment with a wince and wide eyes. "I…"

"Funny, how when people refuse to say anything about them, the truth always comes out," he comments and walks toward her. "My C.O. finally dug up some files on you—or the dead you. Whichever you prefer."

There's fear in her eyes, but not the kind he expects. She isn't scared of him, by any means, and he isn't quite sure how to take that. Relief seems to spread through him. He never likes to make people fearful of him. Yet, there's terror buried in her eyes, and he tends to believe it's caused by InGen.

"Yeah, I'm sure O'Reilly has your back since he's in InGen's pocket."

Owen crosses his arms and moves in front of her. "Funny thing about working for InGen. He told me why you know so much about me. See, I thought it was weird, but he shined some light on the situation. He told me it was _your_ call when it came to him sleeping with Jess and corralling me into taking this job."

"Of course that bastard would say such things. He doesn't want to take responsibility. It was always his problem." The terror in her eyes spins into anger as she limps to the door and turns on the lights.

Owen can't stop his brow from wrinkling. She speaks of O'Reilly as if she knows him extremely well. But Owen's known him for years. There's no way she could know him and he wouldn't know….Right?

She marches back over to him as she pulls off her shirt. "What do you know about him, Grady?" She points to a jagged shiny line on the right side of her body. "Do you know how he gets wasted and takes it out on whoever he's around. He's fond of knives."

Owen skips a breath as he looks at the scar. His right hand reaches out, but he stops himself from touching her.

"He loves making sure you know he's the alpha male. Do you know how many times I told the nurses I fell down his stairs? They patched so many broken ribs and limbs its incredible they never called the police," she comments. "However, InGen pays well for people to look the other way."

"Jess…" His eyes widen. "He's—"

She laughs and he can see the cruel irony on her face. "You thought she loved you." She shakes her head. "InGen pays people well to act. It took me a while to figure out O'Reilly was seeing her."

He shakes his head as she confirms what he's been thinking. "You and O'Reilly… No, I know him. He never spoke of you. He was out a bars, he was single…"

"Did you ever wonder how his banister was broken?"

Owen blinks. He remembers walking in to see the stair banister gone and O'Reilly telling him he was simply remodeling. "Why would InGen do that to you?"

"They keep you around as long as needed. I'm good with the animals. I have a degree in it. However, when I started speaking out against the inhumane things they were doing—like starving these creatures…" She points to a shiny scar in the middle of her chest. "O'Reilly came home wasted… Calling me things far beyond what he normally said… Nurse said he beat me beyond recognition and consciousness… Violated me in unimaginable ways… And shot me.

"Of course InGen paid them to cover it up, and the nurse wrote me off as dead in order to save my life."

This time Owen can't stop himself from touching the scar. He rubs it in an attempt to remove the makeup. However, the feeling is one he's familiar with. His mind doesn't seem to want to wrap around the idea as his gaze slowly traces her curves from head to toe. There are several more shiny patches of skin.

He seems oblivious to her flinching as he tries to rub the makeup from the places she keeps well covered. Something else occupies his mind. He can't help but think of her hiding in the closet when he yelled. He should have recognized the symptoms.

"These people are sick," she says and winces as he touches the wound on her side.

Owen has never felt this wrong in his entire life. He's also never been so at a loss for anything. Not even Jess's betrayal has left him so far out at sea. Blinking, he looks at her.

"You have to leave the paddock."

Her brow furrows. "What? I just told you the truth. Why would you make me leave?"

"He's coming. O'Reilly and Hoskins are coming," Owen admits and grabs the blanket from the couch. Gently, he wraps it around her. "And if they see you…"

He doesn't need to finish in order for tears to start streaming down her cheek.

* * *

 _Again, the curator apologizes for the long wait and thanks you for your patience._

 _She has been in the middle of a huge life changing storm._

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 _Please take a moment to fill out the comment card below._


	21. Seven Devils

_Check the bulletin on the main page for update details._

 _Thank you for your patience._

 _ **Welcome...to the Reckoning**_

 _Chapter 20_

 **Seven Devils**

* * *

"He's back?"

I give a nod to Delta. Peering through the brush, fleshlings walk behind the metal jaws. I can see them circling the tops of the stone. Something isn't right.

"Are they coming for Echo?" Charlie whimpers.

Echo's tail swishes around her, and she lowers her body slightly. Her gaze continually searches the metal jaws for signs of approach.

"I don't know," I growl. "We will not let the fat fleshling have her."

Delta looks away. If she does not approve, I do not care. We are a pack. We are sisters. If they take one of us, what is to stop them from killing all of us?

I do not think Alpha can control the fat fleshling. I think he is beta to the round one, which makes no sense to me. Alpha's are not supposed to be betas to others... Or... Maybe they can be. Am I beta when it comes to Alpha, but an alpha when he is not around? I can feel my thoughts spinning and I don't care for it. I feel like I'm not standing on wood chips. My talons seem unable to grip the ground. I need steady myself.

In any case, the round one is nothing to us. He has taken no part in our existence. He does not determine which of my sisters live or die. We will not let that happen.

"We will stay on watch for the large fleshling," Delta growls.

My head tilts to the right. I was not expecting her to support my command.

Delta looks at me. "As you have growled, we are a pack." She turns her attention to a still cowering Echo. "We are sisters, and they cannot separate us."

Echo gazes at her before straightening up and looking at me.

"However," growls Delta, "I am not sure they're after her during _this_ sun."

There's a swish of my tail as I take in a large breath. "What do you mean?"

Looking back at the metal jaws, her gaze rises to the fleshlings circling the top. "I have not seen your meat bringer."

"Maybe she will not appear on this sun," Echo growls. "Occasionally fleshlings disappear. Alpha did after... I...attacked. And look at the red fleshling for instance, there are suns she's nev—"

"No, Delta's right. Blue's meat bringer is always here," Charlie interrupts and looks at me.

"Do you not see Alpha?" Delta's gaze returns to the metal jaws. "Can you not see his movements?"

With our attention at the jaws, I see Alpha for the first time that morning. His steps follow fat fleshling's large stomps confirming my thoughts about Alpha being a beta in that situation. Alpha is stiff in his movement, muscles tense. He also refuses to glance once in our direction, which is unlike him. Even when we were not together, he still looked.

"I do not understand, Delta," I vocalize. "He is tense, yes. But what does this have to do with your thought?"

"Alpha respects meat bringer, because she helped him talked to you again. She has always been here even when Alpha was injured," Delta explains. "Fat fleshling is here, she is not, and Alpha is tense."

I snort. "I still do not see the connecti—"

"Who's that?" Charlie growls.

Her snout gestures toward a new fleshling walking up to Alpha and the round one. He wraps his claws around my Alpha and I can hear the new one chortling. A snarl escapes my lips.

"Easy, Blue."

I snort at Delta. If someone did the same to Kind Hand, she would be just as furious. My talons dig into the ground. Alpha remains tense as they exchange growls. The new flesh then greets the round one.

It's in that moment that Alpha glances in our direction. If I had blinked, I would have missed it. However, I'm sure he knows we're here because he puffs his chest out. I understand and my tail swishes. Whatever is going on, he still is loyal to us.

Delta scratches the ground before taking off to the left.

It's then I realize what this will require. I move to the edge of the cover, in front of Echo and Charlie. Patience is something learned over a long period of time. And this will require a lot of that.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

She can't get off the island while Hoskins is around. In truth, she'll be lucky if she ever gets off the island. Chances are every exit is now scanning for her. Guards will soon scout; she has no doubt about that. As she places the meat inside the trough, Elizabeth—well, she can drop that cover now can't she? She can call herself Haven, again; they found her. They know she's on Isla Nublar, it's only a matter of time. She can't escape this time.

There's a part of her that wants to be mad at Grady. She wants to hate Owen for going to other sources to discover what she buried. What gave him the right? Who the hell did he think he was? Why should he get the privilege of finding what she hid?

But honestly, she's to blame, and she knows it. If she had just been upfront with him and explained during the countless times he asked, she wouldn't be facing the devil. Or maybe she would since she did sign herself up to go back into his lair. She has it all coming to her. This time she'll be dead and buried with no chance of resurrection.

And as she places the meat inside the trough, Haven looks at the red flesh. It will be gone in moments. There will be no thanks for the service, no gratefulness for the sacrifice, no remembrance of anything other than a full stomach for a few hours.

What was she expecting? What was she hoping for? A medal of honor? Navy Cross?

For what?

If she was brutally honest, these poor creatures were suffering because of her. She had a hand in this twisted tale. She signed a deal with Satan himself. No amount of Bible reading could save her from the sins she committed.

And for what?

For a roof over her head, a warm bed, abuse? What did she really gain other than—

The soft breath startles her from her thoughts. Her muscles freeze like steel within her. There's a presence in the feeding pen with her. She checked and made sure the gates were locked. Nothing could have gotten in.

Forcing herself to swallow, she slowly turns. Despite the other identifying traits and features, it's the yellow, focused eyes that dig into her flesh. There are a few soft clicks.

One.

After.

Another.

As it walks closer.

Then, all at once…

It screeches as its vibrant red and yellow frill expands.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The hatred which builds inside Owen is something he's never faced before. He's been angry—furious even. However, he's never felt an anger that not only burns his skin, but makes him want to rip a human being limb from limb. He wouldn't mind watching his girls tear into skin and flesh while the victim is still alive.

But can they even be considered victims?

Hoskins stands before him discussing Echo's current mental state, and all Owen can focus on is the fact Hoskins should be worried about _his_ mental state. Does the man not realize the fire in Owen's eyes or how he's clenching his jaw to keep from yelling?

The reason Owen's trying to hold it together is because there's a twinkle in Vic's eye. He's seen it before—that callous, predatory glint as if there's a special secret which will change Owen's life, and he has dealt with Hoskins long enough to know something will come from the look.

"When are you going to terminate her?" Owen manages to say amid Hoskins useless yammering.

Vic pauses. The stare he gives Owen would be enough to shake him to his core, if he wasn't already threatening to explode like Mount Vesuvius. He would gladly bury Hoskins and InGen with ash and dust given the chance.

Something causes Owen to simmer, however. There's something in that glare of Vic's which causes Owen to realize he wasn't talking about Echo's demise—and Hoskins knows it. He's asking how long Elizabeth— _Haven?_ —has left to live. And, he imagines, how long he has left to live.

He's fully aware—and finally able to admit—InGen doesn't leave loose ends.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Everything in her screams self-preservation. It yells to protect herself at all costs. Her flight instinct is pleading with her brain to send signals throughout her body to survive. Her leg twitches in response. For a moment, she fears her body will mutiny.

Despite the bleak outlook of her current position, it's better for Haven to pretend she's one of those beautiful Greek statues. If she runs, the dilophosaurus will pursue. It loves the thrill of the hunt—much like most of the carnivores on Isla Nublar. However, another idea sparks.

Without turning her gaze, she sidesteps to the left. The dilophosaurus silences, but its frill remains expanded as its head cocks to the right. Haven takes another step to the left exposing the full feed tray.

Its frill falls back to half expanded and it looks at her. Approaching her, it remains an intimidating height of seven feet—not fully grown. It sniffs her, lowers its frill then proceeds to the feed box where it tears into the red flesh within.

Haven uses the moment to retreat to the exit. Once safely outside the gate, she moves to watch the dilophosaurus eat. Its razor-sharp teeth tear the flesh; it then raises its head and swallows the meat down. She's fascinated by the creature. And why shouldn't she be? They are incredible animals.

There isn't a dinosaur in Jurassic World who isn't intelligent. After the first run and substantial failure of Jurassic Park, InGen invested trillions into creating a better product. They needed a way to recoup the losses and show the world there is nothing to fear. Haven isn't sure Ingen knows they've created Pandora's Box and it's only a matter of time before it bursts open.

At one point, the dilophosaurus looks up at her and snorts before giving a nod. It then proceeds with its dinner. Haven knows the poor creature's been starved, just like the raptor pack was. It's just another confirmation that InGen doesn't understand.

The creatures recognize certain aspects of the park's neglect, even if they don't understand it. They are extremely social, and she's almost certain they discuss it—after all, InGen paid for _all_ the perks even if they don't fully understand the cost. Haven knows there will come a day where one of these creatures realizes the power it has and will take matters into its own claws.

InGen can't keep starving predators and not expect them to lash out in anger.

Haven looks at her watch and curses. After making sure the paddock door is securely shut with _all_ the dilophosauruses in for the night, she turns, and jogs for the Polaris. She must get the levels in the water checked before the sun goes down.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

"Owen!"

His name breaks his concentration and he turns. From the moment he sees O'Reilly, he has a feeling its already too late. He can see the explosion in bright reds and yellows in his mind's eye. Armageddon has come.

Owen does his best to accept the hug and laughter his C.O. gives him. However, he can feel the impending sense of doom in the air. It threatens to suffocate him, because he knows it means failure. He knows death is staring him in the face.

As O'Reilly pulls away, Owen forces a smile. "Never thought I'd see you here."

His C.O. shrugs. "I'm _always_ around if you need me. You know that. Just because of what happened, doesn't mean I still don't care. Besides, I hear your girls are beautiful. I'd like to see them."

O'Reilly moves onto greeting Hoskins. Owen takes a moment to glance into the paddock. He's fully aware Blue is watching them. Just because they can't see her doesn't mean she's doesn't have her bright eyes locked on his every move.

However, it makes him think. He's extremely outnumbered on the island. But he's not necessarily overwhelmed.

Owen knows what's coming. He can see the way the game is playing out. He knows O'Reilly's moves. But the C.O. no longer knows his. He doesn't know the raptors will listen. He doesn't know Blue is his second in command. And he doesn't know where Elizab—Haven is at the moment.

Owen takes a breath, allows the anger to dissipate, puffs up his chest and turns to the men. If they want a hunt, they'll get one. "Gentlemen, you might have a chance to see the raptors from the top."

He isn't sure entirely how it will play out as he leads the men up the stairs. His girls will hide themselves, and he's counting on that. Neither of them need to see his pack. They don't need to know what they're up against. They don't need to realize just how intelligent the raptors are.

"I know there are some rumors circulating, but we're still having issues controlling them," Owen says as he walks along the catwalk. Positioning himself along the wall near the exhibit side, he gazes into the still trees as a plan begins to take root. "I've heard they act like the ones from the original park. They test the gate for weakness, never attack the same area twice, and will wait for meat in an attempt to ambush the staff. They have successfully managed to dwindle my staff down in numbers.

"I know you've talked about destroying them," Owen comments with a look at Vic. "I believe it would be better if we just observed them."

Vic scratches the scruff along his jaw bone. "What is the point of observing them if they don't serve the purpose we need?"

"Why wouldn't you want to observe them?" Owen counters and watches as O'Reilly begins to walk the perimeter of the catwalk leaving him alone with Hoskins. He finds it odd his C.O. wouldn't remain for the talk. "We both know that InGen will try again. They desperately want an assault team. So, why not learn from this pack in order to keep this mistake from happening again?"

Vic leans over the bars and looks at the paddock below. "You're an intelligent and loyal man, Owen. I'll give you that."

His brow raises. "Thank you?"

"I know you have these raptors working as a pack. Your dedication to keeping them safe is admirable," says Hoskins. "You put on quite a talented show for your C.O."

"I'm not following."

"I'll make you an offer," Hoskins says and the gleam in his eye sends ice straight through Owen's bones. "You can keep your little family unit of sunshine here and hand over Haven, or you can keep the girl and train these raptors into the unit we need."

The way his heart stiffens in his chest, has him certain it stopped, and now dead weight drags him to the bottom of the sea. The image of the "Heart of the Ocean" sinking into the ocean at the end of _Titanic_ momentarily crosses his mind.

His girls—his Blue—mean more to him than anything in the world. He has spent a very long time training them, raising them, loving them, and it would be a bitterly cold day in Hell before he would allow anything to happen to them. Hell, he would die for them.

However, keeping his family together means the murder of the one who brought them back together. Owen has seen countless deaths before; he's no stranger to war. He's watched the enemy and comrades die before him. In _every_ situation, he was helpless to save them.

Now, though, her blood would cover not just his hands, but every moment from here until eternity.

"I don't have all day, Owen," Vic says and moves closer to him. "Which do you want?"

* * *

 _If you are wondering... the curator has been through a lot this year. Recently, she was released from her job due to budget cuts and is now working on her portfolio. She is attempting to get into another school since the other was shady. Prayers and thoughts are appreciated._

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